Description

Eight adventurers brave the perilous jungles of Borneo in pursuit of the fountain of youth, unaware theyÕre being stalked by gigantic snakes that feed on human flesh. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Here comes more Zombies!
Hello, I am a huge fan of the R.E. series (video games). They were really freaky and fun to play. The movie though, was a little disappointing. I still love the movie, but it didn't follow very much of the game and the zombies were not scary looking! The action is really good though. I dont recall bein HIGH or anything, but i remember seein some of the same zombies in different scenes. They die and then they come back for more later in the movie. That was pretty strange. Plus, there was barely any gore in the film. Movies with zombies, mean movies with a ton of BLOOD AND GUTS! I just saw the remake of DAWN OF THE DEAD in theaters, and it makes R.E. look like a kiddie movie (rated G or PG). The musical score of the movie, done by Marylin Manson, was AWESOME! That kept the movie in a steady state of COOLNESS! The acting was good too. I love watchin Milla (Alice) runnin around (...)

I really hope APOCALYPSE is goin to be good. It should be, with NEMESIS in it that is. (...) In this next round of FUN, Jill is also joining in, and some other people, who i forgot about. (...) this [may] be one of the best sequels ive seen in a while.

An interesting flick to see
I believe this movie will put Resident Evil back into the good ol' zombie genre. The first Resident Evil was ok, to put it bluntly, the movie was very much different from the game as well as the books. The movie also didn't contain enough action and therefor left one sitting there looking at their watch. I would also watch which reviews I read here, as many of them are most likely written by 10 year olds who sit at home and play Resident Evil games all day. Overall, as a Zombie genre fan, I can only hope that the release of Resident Evil: Apocolypse, as well as, the remake of Dawn of the Dead do great in the box office.

Who cares?
I don't play video games. Never have and perhaps never will, since I got too many things to do with my time than sit still and play games for hours, so I don't know what are all the fuss about Nemesis and other characters from those games. I'm only interested in how entertaining this movie is gonna be and how much of MJ nudity I get again. Hehehe. Since I don't have experience with RE games, I get to enjoy RE movies without any prejudice. In that respect, I feel pretty lucky, specially in these days, many vido-games-turned-movies are out like Tomb Raider and stuff. That actually goes to comics-turned-movies stuff too because I don't look at those comics. Hahaha.

RE2 YA!!!
First off I am a big RE fan but when the first movie came out I thought it would be like the game but... you know how that ends It wasnt like Re1 It was kinda like RE and that Alyssa charicter wtf wheres Jill?Barry?Chris?and Wesker OR TYRANT geez but Resident Evil Apocalypse Is basically playing Resident Evil 3 Nemisis just like in the first the guy got clawd and hes turning into the Nemisis I think this one will blow the first one away so go see this movie I know I will

HMMMM...
Ok first of all there is some similarity in the games, in the resident evil series of movies 1 was resident evil 1+2 and apocalypse will have 2+3. Also the main reason their budget got cut was that they knew that they were making a horrible movie and couldn't make enough money for a second one. And finally I would like to quote Kevin collins "This movie needs to have a better story line that goes a long with the movie." You mean goes along with the game. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Ushering in the age of the inferior sequel, Jaws 2 was essentially a license to print money. Indeed, the film did very well despite blatantly replicating the plot of Steven Spielberg's original, though to lesser effect. Roy Scheider returns as Martin Brody, sheriff of the small island town of Amity. Just as the beachside resort is rebounding from the previous movie's shark attacks, another great white is snacking on divers and water-skiers. Naturally, the town fathers don't want to confront reality and choose to proceed with a lucrative sailing regatta, resulting in a grisly loss of life. Besides the fact that director Jeannot Szwarc takes an impersonal, workaday approach to the film, Jaws 2 manages to be both stylistically flat and openly cynical about its commercial intentions. Of chief interest here is Scheider's performance, which wisely reflects the emotional fallout from Brody's last trauma in his obsessive behavior here. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (113)

Worthy Sequel
As far as sequels are concerned, Jaws 2 is not a bad follow-up to one of the greatest films ever made.The producers of course must have faced a near impossible task to do another segment of an all time classic, for while a sequel was inevitable due to the huge returns that Jaws brought in, the shape, development and style of the film had to be faithful to the original in varying degrees to ensure another commercial and artistic success on their hands and not just a lame imitation.
And surely they have had their share of difficulties with the sacking of the first director assigned to the task John Hancock, bringing in Frenchman Jeannot Szwarc,doing several rewrites, facing very harsh filming condition, before the final product hit the big screens.
And to be fair Jaws 2 has a lot going for it,
Firstly,hiring the same writers, production team,and keeping most of the old characters from the first film ensured familiarity to the viewer.Casting Roy Scheider again as chief Brody and Lorraine Gary as his wife, in addition to Murray Hamilton as Mayor Vaughn, the story of Jaws 2 was in a way a continuation rather than an imitation of the first film , and this alone guarantees a certain appeal.
The acting in Jaws 2, especially from Scheider is way above average,and the excellent scene when Brody is sacked and comes back to the arms of his comforting wife, is a short but valuable distraction into family drama territory.
Secondly, Jeannot Szwarc is an able director,who now concentrates on TV work( directing episodes of Ally Mc Beal and CIS Miami) but who has had good films to his name, most notably the underrated spy thriller Enigma and the romantic weepie Somewhere in Time.
While in Jaws, Quint's speech about the Indianapolis attacks was chilling and a classic, I felt that the last part of Jaws 2 with all the kids trapped in a sea of wreckage at the mercy of the shark was inspired directly by this incident.
Thirdly, the DVD extras are brilliant! The making of segment is 44 minutes long!! and you get a good insight into the making of the film and the difficulties they faced, while the deleted scenes although just three, are very interesting. For instance we see what happened to the helicopter pilot under water! and the voting of the town's council that resulted in the sacking of Brody.
Well of course Jaws 2 is not flawless, and what works against it in my opinion is the following,
First the shark does look more mechanical than it did in the first film. The fact that the writers decided to burn half of the shark's head at the begining of the movie in its boat attack/accident, somehow accentuated the mechanical look of the animal. Morever,the use of real shark footage from the stock of Ron and Valerie Taylor was minimal and not as much as in Jaws, which would have brought more needed authenticity to the look of the shark.
So Jaws 2 is a good follow up to Jaws, not as great as the first (no film in this genre will come close to that classic), but at least it is done with a lot of dedication from all involved, a movie that will still make you look at the ocean with a sense of trepidation and fear.

A Decent Sequel, Except For The Helicopter
"Jaws 2" is an interesting sequel. At least it has Roy Scheider -once again playing the role of Chief Martin Brody -, and it has John Williams' familiar shark theme. The movie has its fine moments, especially the attack on the kids' catamarans and Brody's obssession with the shark. However, I find exaggerating the scene when the shark swims like a torpedo in order to attack a water skier. And what about the shark attacking on a helicopter? Oh, please!!! No way I could buy that.

However, the extras on this DVD are quite interesting. The behind-the-scenes featurette is fantastic at explaining what Director Jeannot Szwarc and crew went through while filming. I personally felt happy at watching John Williams as he explained the process of making the music for this film. And let's not forget the deleted scenes, which makes me wonder why they are not included in the final cut. All in all, this DVD is worth buying. Sometimes I'd love to see some of the viewers' faces at the helicopter scene.

Saw It Once and That's It!!!
I was excited at the age of 17 when I heard that a sequel to Jaws was coming out only three years after the first movie. I went, saw it and was not too impressed, however. The Brody boys had aged a bit since the first movie (different actors this time), Chief Brody (Roy Scheider) gets the axe and another aggressive shark prowling off the shores of Amity Island looking for victims, picking up where the deceased shark left off. Some movies that have been a box office smash usually have sequels, and most of these have not been successful. As for this movie, Jaws II did not fit the criteria as the first Jaws movie did and I would not purchase a DVD or a VHS on sequels such as this. Total waste of time!!!

Jaws 2
Jaws 2 pickes up four years after the original,and it's not as bad as some say.While its no where near as good it's predecessor it is far better than most other shark films.
The plot of Jaws 2 is that another,bigger shark has found its way into the waters of Amity,the same island from the original,.
After the some boaters are killed police chief Brody,one of the heros of the first film, is sure that another shark is patroling the shores of Amity,but most people think he is just paranoid.
Chief Brody almost goes crazy trying to get the city counsel to do somthing about the shark,but still they don't believe him.Then one day at the beach Brody goes insane ,and starts shooting bullets into water the because he thought he saw the shark,but it was only a school of fish.The next day Brody is fired for causing panic on a public beach.After all that Brody reaches his breaking point,and just simpily gives up,that is until he learns that his sons have sneaked out to go sailing with some friends,the mayors son is among them,.Then the action starts as Brody his wife Ellen,and Hendricks,his former deputy turned chief, go out to save the teens,and kill the shark.
I Think this movie was good,yes some parts were a bit stupid,but hey its a sequel.Roy Scheider dose a great job as a man who is powerless to stop the beast because of the mayors love of money. Murry Hamilton also gives a good preformance as the greedy mayor whose only concern is the money,not the people of Amity.I beleive that both Scheider and Hamilton hold this film together in it's weakest moments.Also John Williams score is magnificent,it is ALMOST as good as his score for the original
The writres and director did a nice job too.
In conclusion this film would have done better if it was not expected to be as good as the original.I would recomend it those who enjoyed the first or those just looking for a good movie to watch

Unnecessary Sequels.....Gotta Love Em
Jaws is one of those films that needs no sequel. C'mon, how the hell do you make a sequel to Jaws? The story was told and there's no more to tell! Sequel? The Exorcist fell victim to this as well. Some movies you can make sequels to because you can actually take the story somewhere else. The Terminator's a good example. But when you get a simple open and shut premise like Jaws, the only thing a sequel will do is rehash the plot of the original film in one way or another coz there's no new territory to take a story like Jaws in. Friday The 13th is a good example of this. So, what we get with Jaws 2 is basically the same plot as the first one, so immediately the suspense is down a notch coz you know what to expect. Personally I can't buy the concept of another giant shark invading the same area for no reason. People say it's an offspring of the original shark. Yeah, right. Now I'm sold on it. Kind of like Son Of Dracula, eh? Roy is back and is a saving grace for the film. There's some gruesome shark attacks as well as a few fairly suspenseful ones. The movie isn't THAT bad, it's just unnecessary. It won't kill you to watch it, but you'll be wishing you were watching Jaws. ... Read more

Description

For the first time ever, the original The Invisible Man film comes to DVD in this extraordinary Legacy Collection. Included in the collection is the original classic, starring the renowned Claude Rains, and four timeless sequels, featuring such legendary actors as Vincent Price and John Barrymore. These are the landmark films that inspired an entire genre of movies and continue to be major influences on motion pictures to this day. ... Read more

Reviews (100)

The Best Steven King Movie Ever
One of the best psychological thrillers ever made, "Misery" is a tride and true adaption of the classic Steven King bestseller, white - knuckle tale filled with suspense that only someone as brilliant as King himself could ever provide

Paul Sheldon (played flawlessly by James Caan) is the author of a very successful book series called "Misery". But after years of success, he decides to kill the character once and for all and get on with his life. He finishes his book, but disaster strikes on his way back to New York. He gets caught in a snow storm and crashes his car. He is on the verge of death when a seemingly harmless nurse named Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates in an Oscar - winning role), who claims she's his number one fan. At first, Paul really enjoys Annie's company. Then Annie has several outbursts (including the now infamous ankle - breaking sequence), and Paul becomes suspicous of her past. From here on it's a tense battle between cat and mouse. And if you've never read the book before, then you're in for one of the creepiest endings in your life.

No movie fan should be without "Misery". It is in a class of its own, different from other King classics like "Carrie", "Cuju" and "The Shining". If those films didn't do it for you, then "Misery" will get your blood pumping, your palms sweating and your heart racing in no time.

I Feel Your Pain!
I Feel Your Pain!

Misery is a 1990 suspense drama released by Castle Rock Entertainment, directed by Rob Reiner, with a running time of 107 minutes. Based on a Stephen King novel, this drama is considerably enhanced by the performance of its leads, James Caan (Paul Sheldon) and Kathy Bates (Annie Wilkes).
The tale is really very simple. Paul Sheldon is a successful writer whose career has been made on the back of a series of novels about a 19th century heroine that he is growing weary of, called "Misery." Although she has been the focus of a hugely popular series of novels, Paul wishes to 'retire' the character and focus on writing something more personal. After finishing his latest book, Paul sets out from a Colorado lodge nestled in the Rocky Mountains and begins his drive back to the city during a horrible snowstorm. Let's just say he doesn't make it.
As luck would have it, former nurse Annie Wilkes is passing by and drags him from the wreck. When he comes to, he is in bed being tended to by his 'number one fan' (Annie) in her home. Annie assists Paul in his recuperation, as both legs and an arm are broken as a result of his accident. His gratitude soon turns to concern though, as it become increasingly clear that her love of his Misery novels is far from normal. This unhealthy obsession is only too apparent as she finishes his latest manuscript where Misery dies. To say she becomes outraged would be an understatement. Her rage and insistence that he should rewrite the book leads him to becoming a prisoner in her home.
You would think that a movie centered on two characters in one room wouldn't offer much in the way of excitement, but you need to see this movie! As it becomes quite clear to Paul that help is not on the way, the movie takes on claustrophobic urgency. You find yourself yelling at him, trying to help him escape. As Annie spirals slowly into insanity, things begin to look even bleaker for Paul.
Kathy Bates deservedly took home an Oscar and Golden Globe award for her performance as Annie, and James Caan is wonderful in what must have been a difficult role to play, since he spends most of his time in casts lying in a bed.
Misery is not your typical dramatic movie. It will keep you on the edge of your seat and make you second-guess whether you would really like to be rescued, in a snowstorm, by a "good Samaritan." I give the movie a 4-star rating and recommend it for all viewers, especially Stephen King fans.

Fantastic
The scary thing about Steven King's novels is that they're not that ridiculous. This one in particular, could very well happen. Just remember the penguin always looks south.

Intense and very original.
Misery is by far one of my favorite movies. A writer gets in a car accident and ends up being held at this crazy nurse's home.Excellent plot & fantastic ending---A must've for any one into suspense and who loves S. king's books & movies.

"She can't be dead, MISERY CHASTAIN CANNOT BE DEAD!"
By now pretty much everybody knows the rule that the best movies made from Stephen King novels do not put his name above the title and do not trumpet the fact in the trailer. This would be film's like "Stand By Me," "The Shawshank Redemption," "The Green Mile," and, of course, "Misery." Director Rob Reiner did the first and last films on that list, so he would know. The idea in this 1990 film is fairly simple and one that obviously would send shivers up and down King's own spine: what if an author became the captive of his "number one fan," who, needless to say, is a psychotic maniac?

Paul Sheldon (James Caan) is a famous writer, who has been turning out historical bodice rippers about a heroine named Misery Chastain. As was the case with Arthur Conan Doyle, who killed off Sherlock Holmes at one point, and Edgar Rice Burroughs, who tried to kill off Tarzan's Jane, Sheldon has enough of his fictional creation and has killed her off in a book about to hit the stands. Meanwhile he has just finished a new novel about the slums in which he grew up that he hopes will establish his reputation as a serious writer. However, after he leaves the secluded Colorado Hotel where he goes to write his books his car crashes during a snowstorm and he is horribly hurt. But before he dies he is taken from his car and when he awakes he finds himself in a bed, both of his legs broken, and in the care of Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates), a nurse who gleefully informs Paul that she is his "number one fan."

Grateful to be alive and believing Annie's story that they are snowed in and that the phone lines are down because of the storm, Paul recuperates. He even lets Annie read his new manuscript, a privilege reserved for his editor, agent, and anybody who saves his life. But Annie does not like Paul's new novel and when she discovers he has killed off Misery she goes off the deep end. It becomes clear to Paul that if he has any hope of getting out of there alive, he is going to have to bow to dictates of his "number one fan" and bring Misery Chastain back from the grave.

Meanwhile, Paul's agent (Lauren Bacall) has called up the local sheriff (Richard Farnsworth) and alerted him to the fact that the writer, on his way to New York with a new manuscript, has disappeared. With the help of his plucky wife (Frances Sternhagen), the sheriff starts to search for Paul, who is trying to find some way of getting away from Annie, even in his hobbled condition. Unfortunately, the more he learns about Annie, the less he likes his prospects and the more desperate his condition becomes.

The original novel had a great irony in that under Annie's stern editorial guidance Paul is rather mortified to find the new Misery novel he is writing is the best thing he has ever done. But with William Goldman's script the novel he is writing is but a small part of the game of cat and mouse between Annie and Paul. Once it becomes clear Annie is insane Paul faces the daunting task of keeping on the slippery slope of her good side. Besides, Goldman knows that the whole bit that King did in the novel with Paul's typewriter, which keeps losing keys as his work goes along, would not translate to the film, so he did not even try.

This film represented the second time King created a female character who would be nominated for a Best Actress Oscar, the difference being that Kathy Bates won for "Misery" whereas Sissy Spacek did not for "Carrie." While Caan turns in a solid performance as a character bound to a bed or wheelchair for most of the film, ultimately it is Bates who makes this film work with the way that she goes from sweet to sour on the drop of a pin. Annie's is a many faceted lunacy and part of the terror is that Paul never knows which one will come walking through the door or back out of it again. "Misery" struck me as being a flip on "The Exorcist" in that instead of being afraid of what we would find when we walked through the door, this time we were afraid of what was going to open the door and walk through.

"Misery" is a relatively simple and rather intimate horror film. This time King's monster is a human being and that makes Annie Wilkes one of the scariest, especially as she is played by Bates. When you think of all the fine cinematic performances Bates has turned in since then, especially in "Dolores Claiborne" and "Primary Colors," you have to be glad that Bette Midler turned down the role of Annie when it was offered to her. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Chapter three of George Romero's mighty zombie trilogy has big footsteps to follow. Night of the Living Dead was a classic that revitalized a certain corner of the cinema, and Dawn of the Dead was nothing short of epic. Day of the Dead, however, has always been regarded as a comedown compared to those twin peaks--and perhaps it is. But on its own terms, this is an awfully effective horror movie, made with Romero's customary social satire and cinematic vigor--when a "retrained" zombie responds to the "Ode to Joy," the film is in genuinely haunting territory. The story is set inside a sunken military complex, where Army and medical staff, supposedly working on a solution to the zombie problem, are going crazy (strongly foreshadowing the final act of 28 Days Later). Tom Savini's makeup effects could make even hardcore gore fans tear off their own heads in amazement. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (217)

Well made flim to the last Romero zombie trilogy.
I review this film before and the only reason, what i the film again. Because of the DVD. The picture quatily is Above Average but I thought some of the darker scenes, it`s looks digital, would be Better than the VHS. But again it`s all right. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono is pretty good. Anyway John Harrison music, he compose for the film is Above Average. Some excellent Make-Up work from Tom Savini(He directed the fine remake of Night Of The Living Dead.) Writer and Director-George A. Romero is most underrated film to Date. Good Cast for the unknown actors, I did like Lori Cardille(Her Father played The T.V interviewer in Night Of The Living Dead and the Remake.), John Amplas(His Excellent Performance in George A. Romero`s Martin). Joe Pilato(Little Known for playing a Cop in U.S. theartical cut of Dawn of the Dead.Terry Alexander, Joseph Conroy, Antone Dileo and Gary Howard Klar and again Richard Liberty.

Am sure Anchor Bay Entertainment are planning to resorted the picture to be much brighter and also the sound. Also an commentary track from the director:Geroge A. Romero and Tom Savini. One of Romero`s best films and also the most underrated one. Grade:A-.

Mmmmm.....apocalicious!
A fine horror film in its own right, but it suffers in comparison to "Dawn of the Dead". Where "Dawn" thematically succeeds on its criticism of consumerism, it's hard to find where "Day" fits in the trilogy. And George Romero himself has stated that this was only a shadow of the original "dead" grand finale he envisioned. But the good news is that maybe we'll see a another sequel some day? It's time...the world needs another Zombie film!

But no matter...it's creepy, apocalyptic nightmare that probes a primal fear, i.e. being eaten. It's quite well-acted (in a yelling and screaming sort of way) in spite of its other shortcomings. Lori Cardille and Jarlath Conroy stand out; too bad they haven't done more film work (both are very active in indie/theater work). Josef Pilato has gone on to character roles, including Dean Martin in "Pulp Fiction".

One note regarding the special effects...they're *really* disturbing, especially Sarah's field surgery upon Miguel. But people don't pull apart or break quite so easily.

It's well worth seeing. If you can still find it, buy it. The extras (including a home video "making of" documentary) are compelling.

Divimax delivers the best edition ever
This is one of the best DVD re-releases I have ever purchased. I have always been a fan of the George A. Romero films, and Day of the Dead has always been one of his best. This DVD is loaded with bonus features. 2 featurettes, Trailers, Commentary, and photo galleries. An absolute must for all fans.

The best of the trilogy
I loved 'Night' and 'Dawn,' but 'Day of the Dead' is the ultimate zombie flick and George Romero's masterpiece. It was ridiculously underrated upon its release, but I'm sure its audience grows by the day. It's bleak, ugly, gory, and funny. Love the post-apocalyptic plotline, love the scenes of amateur actors screaming at each other until their temples protrude, love Bub, and love his zombie brethren staggering around moaning and ripping people's faces off. This is what zombie movies are all about.

DAY OF THE DEAD
NOT AS GOOD AS ROMEROS OTHER ZOMBIE FILMS.A LITTLE DRAGGED OUT AND TIRING AT TIMES. BUT,STILL WORTH CHECKING OUT THE ZOMBIES.THIS FILM DOES HAVE ITS MOMENTS AND HAS A CLAUSTROPHOBIC FEEL TO IT. HAVE TO ADD TO YOUR GHOUL COLLECTION!!! ... Read more

Description

A family inherits an elegant steel-and-glass mansion from a deceased relative. The catch is that along with the house comes a slew of ghosts that can be seen only through special goggles. ... Read more

Reviews (240)

Better than The Haunting remake, but it ain't Haunted Hill.
Okay, Dark Castle's second haunted house thriller wants to be like House on Haunted Hill: big, loud, gory, and lots of fun. Well, it ain't the last one, unfortunately. One of the biggest problems has to be director Steve Beck, who somehow believes camera tricks and hyperkinetic editing will make a movie more exciting. Why couldn't Zemeckis and Silver just re-hire William Malone (who directed HOHH)? Then there's the plot, which piles on one silly plot twist on top of each other until it turns into a convoluted mess at the end that actually rips off Blade and Casper, of all movies!

One of HOHH's best aspects was the unpredictability. It was a bit difficult to figure out who would live and who wouldn't. Well, Thir13een Ghosts is obvious from beginning to end. Tony Shalhoub and Matthew Lillard are likeable in their prominent roles, but everybody else is either flat, wasted, or just plain annoying (mainly the kid).

There are certainly some redeeming factors, however, that make this watchable enough. The ghosts' appearances are ghastly and creepy, and this is the only haunted house film I can think of where the ghosts kill on first sight, rather than toying around with their victims. The production design is quite impressive, but it's never utilized to its full potential, especially when we learn the house's walls are moving around like a Rubik's cube. Believe me, Cube this movie ain't.

There are a few exciting moments, particularly one scene where Lillard is a trapped inside a room with a ghost and he needs someone else to inform him where it is so he can dodge it. But the rest of the movie plainly lacks such inspiration, and more importantly, the sense of sheer, sick fun it wants to achieve. There's a good amount of violence and gore, but almost no suspense. I can only recall two scenes where chills went down my back. There's a lot of potential for a great, big rollercoaster ride of a thriller, but this mostly comes out as wasted material.

If you watch the DVD version, do access the Ghostly Files menu, which gives a narrated tale detailing the ghosts and their lives as humans and how they came to be. Great special feature, and really quite creepy and scary.

Good movie
This is one of my fav movies. Matt Lillard is soooo hot! Why did he have to die? lol. I really love this movie, and some of the ghosts are really cool and creepy. I can watch this movie like 10 times a day! It is so great!

13 Yawns!
This movie was terrible and should be named 13 Yawns. The acting was poor and without substance. Not one person did a good job acting their part.

From the beginning this movie should have been made for the Sci-Fi channel and not the big screen. I forced myself to watch the entire movie to see if it would have any good scenes, but it failed to deliver one.

However, the ghosts were made up very well.

Cliche Scary Movie
When I normally review a movie, I tend to review movies that I liked, but this is an exception.

When I started watching this movie I was more than eager to see how it would turn out; after all, it was written by Robb White, the same person who wrote House on Haunted Hill. But as I emmerced myself in it's "plot" I couldn't help but to notice that it was nothing more than a different version of House on Haunted Hill. However, unlike House on Haunted Hill, this movie tends to lack substance. Sure, it had a concept behind it, but a bleak one at that.

By the end of the movie I was highly dissatisfied at it's lack of a thicker plot. It left me empty and wanting more insight to the story. I won't put any detail in my review about the actual plot as it would spoil it for those that _might_ actually want to see it.

I apologize to those that thought this movie deserves 5 stars, but it truly doesn't.

A very good scary movie
First off, I agree with the notion that sometimes the older versions are better than the remakes, but in this case I have to disagree. I saw this version first and then we decided to see the older one. But, the older one was just pathetic--it was worse than a student film. I was not even disturbed at any point during the original--in fact, I was laughing and rolling my eyes through most of it. It was just that stupid. But this remake is tons better--this is one of the few movies I can't watch after a certain point, otherwise I'll be up the rest of the night.

The special effects are rather gory and sometimes the writers make the plot stretch a little, but neither of these really hurt the movie. In fact, the special effects make it that much scarier.

I enjoyed this remake. I think that if you haven't seen it yet, you should at least give it a try and make up your own mind about it. ... Read more

Description

With its alluring tales of gothic mystery and supernatural intrigue, DarkShadows became the most popular daytime series of all time during its run on ABC from1966-71. Muck like the show’s character Barnabas Collins, a guilt-ridden vampirereleased from his chained coffin after nearly 200 years, Dark Shadows retains animmortality that time steadfastly fails to erode. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Adam and Eve Continues....
The Dream Curse ended in Set 8, but the story of Adam continues as he causes problems for all the residents of Collinwood. Nicholas Blair is not a favorite of mine, I find him quite boring. I enjoyed Adam kidnapping Victoria and Angelique as a vampire. A true fan should get this Set. Only two more Sets until Victoria Winters leaves. ... Read more

Reviews (43)

Something 'Worthwhile' has this way come
Excellent film adaptation to Mr. Bradbury's whimsical book by the same title.

The film is cast in the autumn (the autumn of life?) and a small town around turn of the century America (our dream of what America should be?). Two boys, Will Halloway and Jim Nightshade are excited to hear of a carnival coming to town (remember our youth when autumn always brought some sort of carnival to your town?). However, this carnival is no ordinary one. It's proprieter, Mr. Dark, offers people what they desire most -- at a fearsome price.

Jim and Will discover the underlying nature of Mr. Dark, his menions and the carnival and end up as quarry for the mysterious, sinister man. Will's father, Charles Halloway - the town librarian - is an unlikely hero who faces his own fears and temptations to protect the two youths from Mr. Dark.

Not really bloody or scary, I'd say the theme of this movie (that of facing the realities of life) creates uneasiness because of the familiar setting and its dealing with normal everyday people and their dreams/wishes.

The movie is well done and entertaining. Certainly worth a look. You might consider before allowing younger children to view it - it would probably give them dreams.

~P~

Love Bradbury! ...not so much love for film adaptation -
Director, Jack Clayton, The Innocents, [an excellent film...] Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983) -- Staring Jason Robards and Jonathan Pryce. This screenplay adaptation (1983), by the author, of his own novel Something Wicked This Way Comes, is good only during scenes with Robards and Pryce (these scenes are VERY good) yet, the plot is motivated by the actions of the characters of the two boys, Will Holloway and Jim Nightshade who, were inadequately cast (it's hard to find good child actors). Along with not being shot very well (Director of Photography, Stephen H. Burrum [the writer of this review simply can't tolerate the day-for-night scenes.]), it also seems that, 10 to 18 pages of the original script are missing from the final cut (the whole Tom Fury, B-Story), and much of the special effects scenes are cut in such a way as to reveal they didn't work and had to be cut out &/or around; how sad. The story simply falls apart! Somehow, a BEAUTIFUL script ended up as a film that, "had to be saved." Such, is the way of Hollywood.

Something Wicked This Way Comes, is available in paperback, ISBN: 0380729407 based on the screenplay, Dark Carnival by Ray Bradbury, based on the short story, The Black Ferris (1948), by Ray Bradbury available in ISBN 0-394-51335-5

Genuine Horror from Disney via Anchor Bay Comes
Based on the best-selling 1962 novel by venerable SF and horror writer Ray Bradbury--who also penned this cinematic adaptation--1983's SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES is the unabashedly nostalgic story of two young boys, Will Halloway (Vidal Peterson) and Jim Nightshade (Shawn Carson), who engage in a battle of wills with Mr. Dark (Jonathan Pryce), the nefarious proprietor of a preternatural carnival that that literally blows into the boys' hometown one brisk October night (circa 1940). When Will and Jim discover that Dark and his troupe of midway miscreants are hiding some evil secret that might endanger the town, the boys take it upon themselves to uncover the truth and protect their friends and neighbors.

Some viewers are surprised to learn that this somber film is a product of the Walt Disney Company. Though there are the lovable small-town characters that one expects from Disney, it is admittedly rare to find a Disney flick with an incorrigibly evil character such as Mr. Dark (obviously the Devil in all but name). It is also unusual for a Disney film to have such a grim atmosphere, at least one that is not regularly punctured with puerile comedic relief, but SOMETHING THIS WAY COMES has a consistently spooky ambiance and an earnestly frightening plot, both of which elevate it to the level of a genuine horror film DESPITE its Disney label.

The performances in SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES are top-notch. Jonathan Pryce is deliciously wicked as the enigmatic Mr. Dark--genre fans might recognize Pryce as the actor playing Governor Swann in the 2003 blockbuster PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL--and Jason Robards does a fine turn as the wise librarian father of young Will. Vidal Peterson and Shawn Carson, the two young actors portraying Will and Jim, are relative newcomers whose lack of substantial experience is an asset rather than a liability, as it actually adds to the realism of their characters' youthful innocence. Some of the seasoned actors that fill supporting and background parts also contribute greatly to the quality of the film. The gorgeous Pam Grier, star of several popular "blaxploitation" flicks in the 1970s, plays the carnival's witch-like fortune-teller; Diane Ladd plays Jim Nightshade's mother, a woman who is raising her son alone after both were abandoned by the boy's father; and Ellen Geer, daughter of the late Will Geer of TV's THE WALTONS, portrays the mother of Will Halloway. Horror fans might recognize the late Royal Dano in the role of Tom Fury, the lightning-rod salesman. During his lengthy career, the ubiquitous Dano appeared in such genre favorites as Hitchcock's THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY (1955), 7 FACES OF DR. LAO (1964), and KILLER KLOWNS FROM OUTER SPACE (1988); and also in episodes of genre TV shows like LOST IN SPACE, NIGHT GALLERY, AMAZING STORIES, and TWIN PEAKS.

Although the script does not have the same scope and attention to detail found in the novel, Bradbury has still done an exceptional job of translating to screenplay the novel's eerie essence and moral subtext. And director Jack Clayton does almost as well in visually interpreting Bradbury's script. He generates the perfect atmosphere for some genuinely creepy moments, and he is also quite adept at evoking Bradbury's primary theme of innocence lost.

SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES generates most of its chills and scares the old-fashioned way--through atmosphere, suggestion, good plotting, and great characterization. Unfortunately, the flick was originally released during the peak of the first big wave of slasher films in the early 1980s, and it was therefore unfairly ignored by moviegoers and panned by critics. But thanks to the cool folks at Anchor Bay, this little beauty has a new lease on life via DVD.

Anchor Bay's disc is short on extras, offering only the theatrical trailer and the option of viewing in either pan-and-scan or 1.66:1 Letterbox formats. But the digital transfer looks nearly pristine--even when viewed on a widescreen HDTV-- with only a few minor defects from the source print noticeable. In keeping with the subject matter, the film was shot with dark tones and subtle hues, and these come through wonderfully on the DVD. Serious collectors of horror films on DVD won't want to let this genre gem slip away.

More Than it Appears - Worthy of The Twilight Zone
I've read through several reviews and find myself in agreement with fans of this film. It is truly one of the most underrated films in Disney's library. Whether Disney has disowned it is questionable and I suspect there is a connection behind the scenes with Anchor Bay, just as there is (or was?) with Miramax Films.

The key to this film is that Bradbury captured the tone and flavor of his book perfectly. While nowhere near as complete as the book and the story told therein, it is, nonetheless, complete in and of itself. There's nothing missing for those who haven't read the book. But, if you liked the movie, go find a copy of his book and read it one dark and stormy night.

If you've seen some of the weird science before in other films, most likely it was because Bradbury wrote about it first. He is and was the Stephen King of his generation with such strange tales as The Illustrated Man and The Martian Chronicles (both are actually linked anthologies of his short stories).

If you haven't read the description of the film, it is a story about Middle America early in the first half of the Twentieth Century and two boys sharing their childhood. One comes from a respected, if unexciting family and the other from a less than honorable setting. Yet they live beyond their differences and hold on to their own special fantasies and memories in a Norman Rockwell sort of way. Life was simpler then than it is now, and yet it has its dark side, as the boys soon find out. Mr. Dark's Carnival has come to town in as mysterious way as it did in another time, many decades before, affecting all who became involved.

The film is deliciously handled with a flare that defies description, probably because Bradbury graced it with his retelling through the screenplay. Coupled with the compelling music that adds flavor and color to the outstanding cinematography, the film draws us into a Twilight Zone of the familiar and macabre.

The film is treated as one for children. It decidedly is not one for little ones who are half-awake, and yet the story is more disturbing to those who will think upon the hidden messages that are as old as time itself and what every parent dreads... What is to become of us? What is to become of our children? This is the very heart of the fear that is so omnipresent once the carnival arrives that dreadful night.

Don't just watch this story once. See it twice, but not on the same night. Give it some time to develop in your subconscious, and then, one autumn night, when the leaves are turning color, give it another look, ignoring the cliches it has spawned in other, later and lesser stories.

Disney does horror... really!
No need to repeat the plot you can read about that plenty below. This review is for parents.

Something Wicked This Way Comes is very scary. Not only have the censors totally misjudged this film but it is still classed as a children's movie! What rubbish! This is horror through and through, although albeit it can still be watched by kids but most adults will think twice about what they have just shown to them.

PARENTS SHOULD WATCH THIS BEFORE SHOWING IT TO THEIR KIDS.

This is not your average "darker" childern's flick like the Dark Crystal or the Black Caldron. It is much darker than that. I also remember a very graphic hand crushing scene. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Witches. Deadly nightmares. Werewolves. Dagger-wielding authors. Body-snatching hitchhikers. For American horror buffs, this collection is something of a holy grail: the complete rarely seen 1980 anthology series produced by England's famed Hammer Studios, the masters of their gothic domain. Hammer aficionados will want to start with "The Silent Scream," which stars studio icon Peter Cushing in a terrifying story of captivity and comeuppance.Veteran character actor Denholm Elliott stars as an unhappily married real estate agent in the grips of a recurring nightmare in "Rude Awakening." As for rising stars, that's Pierce Brosnan in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo as Last Victim in "Carpathian Eagle," a story about a homicidal author who beds her victims. More Night Gallery than Twilight Zone, this series recalls Hammer's gory--I mean, glory--days as the premier producer of elegantly disreputable horror films that were a cross between Masterpiece Theatre and Herschell Gordon Lewis. There's nothing campy in this baker's dozen of episodes--just blood, dread, and fears (and a little nudity). --Donald Liebenson ... Read more

Reviews (8)

A Very Good Bang for your Buck - Collectors Item
First of all let me start by saying that the whole box set of thirteen forty-five minute television programs has a total running time of 670 Minutes! That is over 11 hours of viewing which works out at a cost of just over $4 per episode which is great value if you like a bit of horror entertainment for just under an hour a day for 2 weeks solid. Basically that is how my family watched it. We would do an episode a day and it helped fill that gap after work with a nice cup of tea and biscuits. Anyhow, onto the review.

The Hammer House of Horror Box Set is a must for any fan of Hammer Horror but it is not for everybody. It is more of a nostalgic item which brings back the memory of this old Hammer Horror series from the early 1980s. If you like Hammer Horror and have not seen this series then you should know that it contains more modern stories sort of in the vein of "Tales of the Unexpected" or "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" but with all the Hammer hallmarks - corny acting, daft plots and lots of women who are chosen for their looks over their ability to act - and what bad taste the casting directors have!... which is why we love it. There are many actors with bit roles who actually went on to become popular and mainstream like Pierce Brosnan and Brian Cox. Some of the shows are extremely experimental and most of the plots are silly but they are also highly original. It is a case of hit or miss with a lot of them, but you will laugh and enjoy them all the more for it with a sort of "What the hell was that I just watched?" grin.

There are 4 discs which break down into 3 + 3 + 3 + 4. The transfer quality is very good, but there are some artifacts in the image but if you do not look for them you will not see them. The only problem I have with the DVD is the fact that you can not just play each program directly. You need to basically choose the first scene in the selection that comes up and you can not help but notice what is in store for each show. It is a bit of problem that should not have been there. There is a small booklet with the box set and some extras like bios and slide show galleries.

I will divide each show into good or fair or bad.

DISK 1:
(1)The House That Bled to Death - GOOD
Basically a story about a haunted house that starts to spurt blood. Memorable kids party scene and a good twist ending.

(2)The Silent Scream - FAIR
Has Peter Cushing and Brian Cox in a story about imprisonment experiments. Good at times but also falls flat in some parts.

(3)The Two Faces of Evil - FAIR
Story about a hitchhiker that causes a car accident. Is her husband really her husband or the deranged hitchhiker? Good at times but falls flat in the end.

DISK 2:
(4)The Mark of Satin - BAD.
About a paranoid man that thinks there is a satanic plot against him. Very experimental piece.

(5)Witching Time - FAIR.
A witch arrives in the future and drives a man mad in his home. Not bad but a little corny at times.

(6)Visitors From the Grave - GOOD
Woman kills a man who tries to rape her - then she starts seeing him again. One of the better programs on this disk. Very good.

DISK 3:
(7)Rude Awakening - FAIR
About a man who keeps have a reoccurring nightmare about killing his wife. Very experimental but not bad.

(8)Charlie Boy - GOOD
Apart from the hammy acting this one is quite good. About a voodoo doll that gets out of control. Actually has a good plot.

(9)Children of the Full Moon - GOOD
You will remember this one if you are a fan of the series. Basically a run in with a werewolf family changes a couples life. Lots of fun.

DISK 4:
(10)The Thirteenth Reunion - GOOD
Starts off really bad and then turns into a great story that is very original. Excellent show.

(11)The Carpathian Eagle - BAD
A silly story about a killer femme-fatal. Has a few moments of Pierce Brosnan with his Oh-irish accent.

(12)Guardian of the Abyss - GOOD
Not a bad story about a cult that uses a mirror to incarnate a demon.

(13)Growing Pains - FAIR
Silly ghost story about a scientist family and an adopted boy. Some good scenes though but a silly ending.

Overall this is a fantastic box set with lots of different stories that vary in theme and type and will keep you entertained. Just remember that each show was produced with less funds than the Hammer Horror Movies and it shows, but all in all great stuff and I am very happy that I bought this box set.

Role on with the DVD box set of "Hammer House of Mystery of Suspense"!.... or whatever that other series was called.

2 ½ stars actually
These 13 episodes are kind of a cross between "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" and "Twilight Zone", with some of that British predilection for black magic and Satanism thrown in. Over half the episodes have no supernatural element, being displays of paranoia, delusion, sociopathy and horror. Of course such displays are not limited to those episodes! Episode content for half of these is pretty weak: I had to refresh my memory on individual plots too often while writing this review - not a good sign. DVD production values like picture quality, sound and packaging are satisfying.

Three episodes, "The Thirteenth Reunion", "The Silent Scream", and "Visitor From The Grave" suffer from Protagonist Deficiency Syndrome (PDS): In PDS, the protagonist(s) display reasoning deficiencies that are so mind-boggling that one starts rooting for the evil antagonists instead. Here are brief discussions of the episodes and ratings (5 stars possible).

Disc #1 - Witching Time - 2 stars -First episode out of the box, leaving one with lingering dissatisfaction and apprehension that the remaining episodes will be as weak. (Unfortunately too many are!)
Disc # 1 - The Thirteenth Reunion - 1 star. Classic PDS, but viewers hungering for satisfaction will be satiated.
Disc # 1 - Rude Awakening - 4 stars. Grand prize for series originality and quality.

Disc # 2 - Growing Pains - ½ star. What's the point? Entertainment also needs a plot going somewhere, doesn't it?
Disc # 2 - The House That Bled To Death - 3 stars. Clever twist.
Disc # 2 - Charlie Boy - 3 stars. "Charlie" is apparently some sort of voodoo/hex doll.

Disc # 3 - The Silent Scream -2 stars. Classic PDS obstructs an interesting but hardly original idea. (e.g."Most Dangerous Game", etc.)
Disc # 3 - Children Of The Full Moon - 3 stars. It was a dark and stormy night...This episode has the only totally unexpected (to me) jolt in the series, thus some merit here!
Disc # 3 - Carpathian Eagle - 3 stars. A moderately good plot, thoroughly executed.

Disc # 4 - Guardian Of The Abyss - 3 ½ stars. Lots of apparent good old-fashioned British black magic and Satanism ala Dennis Wheatley.
Disc # 4 - Visitor From The Grave - zero stars. PDS Syndrome personified. This episode's plot line is a well-worn rut and has been presented far better elsewhere.
Disc # 4 - The Two Faces Of Evil - 3 ½ stars. The two faces: evil and evil. Lots of good old fashioned paranoia and other elements here to satisfy almost everyone!
Disc # 4 - The Mark Of Satan - 2 ½ stars. Talk about paranoia! Quality wise, this episode is right at the series' norm.

Inclusively Appealing
Annoyed that I couldn't find a listing of all the Hammer Productions included in this Box Set before buying it, I took the liberty of going and getting one. What I found was this set contained many great titles, some of them quite hard to find (and impossible to locate on DVD) mixed with some films that were adequate. For the price, for the quality of the DVD transfer that isn't the best but is pretty good, and for those great pieces, however, its well worth picking up.
And now for a listing of the 4 DVDs:

Volume 1
Witching Time
The Thirteenth Reunion
Rude Awakening

Volume 2
Growing Pains
The House that Bled to Death
Charlie Boy

Volume 3
The Silent Scream
Children of the Full Moon
Carpathian Eagle

Volume 4
Guardian of the Abyss
Visitor of the Grave
The Two Faces of Evil
The Mask of Satan

Worth the price of admission
While we have to patiently wait for Warner Brothers to decide to release the original Hammer Dracula and Frankenstien entries on DVD (AN ABLSOLUTE CRIME), this will have to do.
An excellent collection...fun and enjoyable, often full of, get this, ideas that have not been rehashed over and over again (remind you of the current theatre releases?).
Some are better than others, with the Silent Scream rising above the rest riding Peter Crushing's performance. Solid quality, fun, and enjoyable.

Note: Not for the MTV horror crowd...it actually attempts to tell a story behind the violence.

Thanks A&E.

Now if only they would come out with a complete Tales from the Crypt collection. Any word, HBO? Pllllleeasssee?

Quite spooky!
I remember watching these the first time around on British television, as a young teenager, and I found them quite frightening at the time! I was so pleased to find them available on DVD (oddly, not yet available in the UK on DVD)

My favourite episodes are: "Rude Awakening" where Denholm Elliot plays the part of an Estate Agent called Norman Shendley caught in a never ending nightmare with a bizarre twist at the end. This episode is also a bit of a black comedy with some dark humor in too!

"Silent Scream" features veteran Hammer actor Peter Cushing playing the part of the owner of an strange pet shop that has no customers..and very strange pets! This episode also features a lead role for young rising star Brian Cox.

These short films are now some 20 years old, and probably not as scary as they were originally, however I still think most of them would be unsuitable for young children. ... Read more

Reviews (374)

Aliens and bees and corn fields, oh my!
"The X-Files: Fight the Future" is an endlessly fascinating and complicated movie that ties together all the mythology pieces from the popular series upon which it's based. Although I think that people who never watch the show can enjoy this movie, I doubt they can understand it very well. Heck, I watch the show religiously and I still don't think I understand everything.

However, it succeeds in introducing the audience to the characters of Agents Mulder and Scully, without rehashing the things that are familiar to the fans of the show. When we are first introduced to our favorite duo, their conversation on their cell phones is enjoyable to both old audiences and new ones alike.

The film also makes clear the deep affection and love Mulder and Scully feel for each other--something regular viewers already know--which comes to a head in the famous hallway scene outside of Mulder's apartment.

The film is top quality, as we've come to expect no less from "The X-Files," with an intelligent story-line, great action sequences and special effects, and plenty of aliens to satisfy the sci-fi junkie in all of us. But don't get me wrong--you don't have to be a sci-fi junkie to enjoy this film. You have to like a good suspense/thriller, with some action, intelligent story-telling, and yes, a little bit of hinted-at romance. I mean, for "The X-Files," any 'Shipper will tell you that this is a pretty romantic movie. As one of those so-called 'Shippers, I was very angry at that darn bee, which was my biggest disappointment.

The DVD itself is nicely presented, with all the theatrical trailers, an informative commentary track by Rob Bowman and Chris Carter, and an interesting behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film. Best of all, it has added footage not originally in the theatrical version.

This DVD is sure to please all forms of movie-goers. =)

FIGHT THE FUTURE made me a fan
I watched this movie without ever watching an episode of the series before. I came into the movie only knowing that the main characters were FBI agents Mulder and Scully who sought the truth about aliens and government conspiracies that tried to cover up their existance. That was all I knew, I didn't know anything about the black oil, or the bees, or even who the Smoking Man was. This movie did a good job presenting the basics so a first timer (like myself) wouldn't feel totally lost while watching it. David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson were superb in their big screen roles of Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. The hallway (I think you know what I'm talking about!) scene was one of the best scenes of the movie. Now if only there was no bee.... Overall, this movie was X-cellent. The acting was great, the special effects were cool, and the plot kept me on the edge of my seat. I recommend this movie to anyone who has ever watched The X-Files and loved it, and also to anyone who hasn't seen an episode before but likes sci-fi movies. And I'd just like to say thanks to Chris Carter and crew for a really good season 6 - here's onto season 7, unfortunately the very last one. I'll be looking forward to the next X-Files movie, I can't wait until it comes out!

Solid X-Files adventure
"The X-Files: Fight the Future" doesn't answer a lot of the questions that fans were waiting for from the movie. The only difference between this movie and, say, a two or three part X-Files story arc is the size of the budget, effects and the guest stars. The writing, unfortunately, doesn't measure up to the best the series offered. Nevertheless, it's a fine theatrical episode of the series.

Thousands of years ago an alien species ruled this planet. Humanity was just an afterthought. It's clear that these aliens want to regain control of the planet and members of the government have made a pact with the devil; humanity will become a slave race to these aliens (and other things you don't want to know about if you haven't seen the movie otherwise it'll spoil plot points).

Somehow all of this is tied into two little boys that discover an ancient underground cavern. One of the boys is infected with some sort of virus as are several rescue workers. In another part of the US, Mulder and Scully are checking out terrorist threat against the US. The building that Mulder and Scully and the rest of the team believe to be the target is a decoy. Mulder and Scully accidently discover the real target. The mystery at the heart of the film is why the terrorist targeted a building that had the agency FEMA in it when there were more vital government agencies they could have hit. Also, the building was evacuated. So how come there were two victims discovered in the rubble?

All of this remains at the heart of the mystery and it does, indeed, play into the alien conspiracy story arc than began to be undcovered in season one of the series. If you're interested in "The X-Files" but haven't seen the entire series, this movie is still comprehensible to the average moviegoer. The ramifications of the plot, however, will be much more important if you've seen the bulk of seasons 2-6 first (season 1 just sets up the conspiracy angle and is important but not a central part of the conspiracy arc).

The picture quality is pretty good considering this came out close to the beginning of the DVD craze. It could be improved with an anamorphic widescreen transfer (higher picture quality)and with a separate disc of extras. The extras aren't bad here they're just not as indepth as they should be. My guess is that Fox plans on re-releasing this on DVD when the new X-Files movie comes out in 2006 and/or within the next year or two because they've finally got the entire series on DVD.

Well worth picking up for fans but for casual new viewers, I'd suggest starting with seasons 2-6 to fully understand the consequences of this film's plot line. Carter's script isn't his best but there are enough gems in the script to make it worthwhile for fans of the series.

An enjoyable move to the "big screen"
The X-Files "Fight the Future" takes place after the end of season five when the X-Files have been shut down. FBI agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully ( Gillian Anderson) are assigned to a Federal building in Dallas to locate a bomb. Unfortunately, the bomb goes off before it can be defused, and an FBI agent as well as three fireman and a boy are killed in the explosion. The FBI needs someone to blame for what happened and look to Mulder and Scully. Wanting to find out what really happened to save their careers, Mulder starts searching for clues. He soon encounters a paranoid doctor ( Martin Landau) who reveals to Mulder a conspiracy dealing with a deadly virus that could be alien in origin - and capable of destroying all life on earth. Mulder and Scully are soon forced to put their careers and lives on the line, when they are pitted against a powerful group of men known as the Syndicate, who are somehow connected with the virus and willing to kill to keep their secrets safe.

The X-Files film "Fight the Future" offers a very enjoyable transition from the television series to the big screen. I first saw the film, back when it was released in theaters. I had never seen a single episode from the show, and even though there were some things I did not understand, like who the Lone Gunmen were, the Syndicate's role in the overall conspiracy, etc., the film managed to entertain me. Now that the prices on the DVD sets for the show have been reduced, I was able to go back and finally watch the first five seasons. I recently watched the film again, and I really enjoyed it because I was finally able to understand all the smaller details that eluded me the first time around. David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson are in fine form once again as Mulder and Scully. Martin Landau was very good as well. Fans of the show will be happy with the film, because it does a very good job expanding on the overall mythology, as well as bringing in characters from the show like Assitant Director Skinner played by Mitch Pillegi, the Lone Gunmen, and the Cigarette Smoking Man played by William Davis. The special effects, action sequences, and suspense this film brings will entertain people who have never seen the show.

In my opinion, "Fight the Future" can be enjoyed by hardcore fans of the show, as well as a person who has never seen the show. I know this from experience because I was able to watch the film from both points of view. In fact, it was seeing the film the first time around that made me want to watch the show in the first place. The DVD itself offers top notch picture and sound quality, as well as commentary from Chris Carter, and an in-depth featurette on the making of the movie and the transition from the show to the big screen.

A solid 5 stars...

Good series, bad movie
On the commentary track of this movie, someone says that this movie tried to appeal to both the die hard fans of the movie and to potential new fans. Unfortunately, doing an extended 'myth arc' episode as a movie ends up short for both groups. The X Files movie came along at a time where the series's mythology was already, overly complicated and convoluted, so it was hard for newbies to follow the story without having to do extended research about the back story. Die hard fans, on the other hand, would find the story progresses too slowly, compared to the series. ... Read more

Amazon.com

When you put on The Jacket, prepare for a head-trip into fragmented reality. Coproducer Steven Soderbergh might have fared better with this mind-bender than British director John Maybury (who indulges an excess of heavy-handed "style"), but it's intriguing enough to hold your attention as Gulf War veteran Jack Starks (Adrian Brody) sustains a head-wound that results in amnesia and fragmented timelines. One involves Jack's apparent killing of a policeman, after which he's institutionalized and subjected to straight-jacketed experiments in sensory isolation (with Kris Kristofferson as the doctor in charge); the other is a possible future involving a nihilistic waitress (Keira Knightley) with connections to his past, and the discovery that Jack will die in four days if he can't solve the brain-teasing puzzle he's fallen into. The Jacket aspires to the cleverness of Memento and falls short of that target, but Brody gives this exercise in desperate disorientation a certain gravitas that keeps you watching as his tormenting visions begin to unravel. Jennifer Jason Leigh, Brad Renfro and Kelly Lynch make the most of their small supporting roles. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (21)

In Tour de Force Performance, Adrien Brody Knows Jack! :-)
What's up with Adrien Brody playing guys named Jack? First he played Jack the slippery con artist in LOVE THE HARD WAY, this spring he was seen briefly in theaters as amnesiac Gulf War veteran/accused murderer/asylum inmate/time traveler Jack Starks in THE JACKET, and Brody just wrapped Peter Jackson's (another Jack, sorta :-) KING KONG remake, due for Christmas season release, in which he plays playwright-turned-unlikely-hero Jack Driscoll. Is this Jack motif a superstition with Brody, like Paul Newman and his string of "H" movies (THE HUSTLER, HUD, HOMBRE, HARPER, HARRY & SON)? Indeed, THE JACKET is chock-full of Jacks, in its title, its hero, and even love interest Jackie (Keira Knightley, looking like a cross between Helena Bonham Carter in FIGHT CLUB and Winona Ryder in BEETLEJUICE. Boy, her voice is deep when she's doing an American accent! :-). Too bad the folks at Warner Independent Pictures didn't know jack about properly publicizing THE JACKET, which opened with an anemic $2 million at the box office and only sank further. According to THE NEW YORK TIMES, the studio spent $10 million on advertising (acting like it was a big deal. I bet that's a fraction of the advertising budget that Universal will use on KING KONG...but I digress...), but they certainly didn't use it wisely. I didn't notice any TV commercials, newspaper/magazine ads, or posters at theaters for the film until the week it opened, and the advertising art was the ugliest, most unenticing imagery I've ever seen for a major release. There were magazine/newspaper interviews with Brody and with Keira Knightley in magazines and on TV *after* the film had already opened (unless you happen to have The Sundance Channel, in which case perhaps you caught Alan Cumming's brief interview with the JACKET cast and director at the Sundance Film Festival during their FESTIVAL DAILIES series), but it was too little, too late.

It's a shame, because while THE JACKET is flawed, even derivative -- it could have been titled TWELVE MONKEYS CLIMB JACOB'S LADDER SOMEWHERE IN TIME AND EXPERIENCE THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT -- it's nevertheless a compelling, emotionally-charged viewing experience, showcasing Brody in his best intelligent, angst-ridden, Young Pacino/DeNiro mode. Brody is one of the few actors around who movingly portrays anguish without chewing the scenery. (One nice, if slightly offbeat detail: as Brody lies on his back sobbing in one scene, you can actually see the poor man's tears dripping into his ears. And hey, is it me, or does Brody's angular face look like a theatrical tragedy mask when he's really crying his eyes out? I noticed that in THE PIANIST, too. Details like that intrigue me!) Certainly far worse thrillers have made a profit at the box office, or at least had a strong opening weekend. The atmosphere is appropriately eerie, and the trippy story sure keeps you guessing in a good way, even though some of the plot threads and possibilities aren't quite followed up on. For example, I half-expected Jackie to turn out to be a figment of Jack's imagination or his feminine side or something because of the similar names. It looks like it was simply a lack of naming imagination on the part of screenwriter Massy Tadjedin, working from a story by Tom Bleecker and Marc Rocco -- unless the upcoming DVD includes deleted scenes that prove my original theory right! :-) Brody and Knightley have a tender chemistry in their love scenes; I can see why there were rumors of a romance between the two during filming. In interviews, director John Maybury has described Brody as having a "Valentino-like" quality in these poignant yet sexy scenes, and I agree. Brody and Knightley are ably supported by a fine cast, particularly Kris Kristofferson as the sinister doctor, Jennifer Jason Leigh as the sympathetic doctor, and Daniel Craig as one of Brody's fellow inmates. One of the film's highlights is a loopy scene at a group therapy session in which Craig and Brody spout off about "The Organization for the Organized." It made me want to see Brody (and for that matter, Craig) star in a really good comedy one of these days! At its best, THE JACKET feels like one of those Japanese horror films in the RING/GRUDGE mold. At its worst, however, it feels like Maybury didn't trust the busy storyline and fine performances to hold viewers' attention, piling on weird visual F/X that I found more distracting than enhancing (perhaps Maybury was inspired by Michel Gondry's similarly distracting directorial style in ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND :-). Ironically, while Maybury's bells and whistles occasionally provide arresting imagery, particularly his use of color, I usually found the atmosphere and stark beauty of the outdoor scenery (Scotland does a fine job of standing in for snowy Vermont) much more emotionally resonant. Brian Eno's pretty yet vaguely spooky score helps, too; stay through the end credits or you'll miss Iggy Pop's (!) soulful rendition of "We Have All the Time in the World." Ah, well, maybe THE JACKET will develop a cult following, or at least do better on home video.I see they're using more attractive, compelling art for the packaging, which certainly couldn't hurt! As far as Adrien Brody's movie hit track record is concerned, here's hoping KING KONG is a king-size smash to make up for it! :-)

I Liked It,
I saw this movie in the theater, but I think I like it because I was with someone that I enjoy being with.The slip when I went to get the two tickets for this movie is what made it a great movie at a great time.The DVD will be on my list of those to buy.

Better than you would think
Maybe it was the advertising that killed this movie in the theatre before it even got a fair chance. I saw this before it was released at the Sundance film festival and knew that it would be a hard one to sell to people not because it wasn't good but because it didn't fit in to a usual Hollywood classification. Sure enough, I was right. They made it look like a horror movie and it is definitely not that. I'd call it a thriller with sci fi overtones. Sort of a Twilight Zone episode if you had to label it.
Great performances by a strong cast plus an interesting plot propel this over most movies that come out in the theatres these days. In some respects it's even better than The Butterfly Effect (which had a simular plot) especially because it has a strong lead where as B.E did not.
Given a chance with different marketing this could have been big. So check it out on DVD now!

Worth taking a chance on.......
Have you ever seen a movie, and said to yourself, "Hey, I have seen this before"; even though, you've not seen that particular film. Well that's exactly the feeling that I had with this picture; however, the film I thought I was watching was The Butterfly Effect. Two very similar films, with different sets of circumstances; however, the very same end state.

Adrien Brody stars as Jack Starks, a Gulf War veteran, who is shot and killed in the opening sequence of this film. Jack, however, recovers from this injury, but is left with limited memory recollection capability. The film jumps forward, and Jack is now walking on some abandon highway. After providing assistance to a mother and daughter whose truck had stalled along the roadway, Jack is picked up by a wayward drifter in a stolen vehicle. A police officer stops the car on a routine inspection, and the drifter shoots and kills the policeman. Jack is wounded, left for dead and convicted of the crime. Unable to remember all the details of the events preceding the crime, Jack's is found innocent by reason of mental defect and sentenced to a mental health facility for psychiatric evaluation.

Jack is kept heavily medicated, while under observation. In this vegetative state, he is removed from his room and taken to the morgue in the basement of the psychiatric hospital. He is forced to undergo treatment, in which he's strapped into a straight jacket, injected with a serum, and stuffed into a cadaver drawer. While in the drawer, the hallucinogenic drug has a cascading effect on Jack's mind as mental images start flooding his head. Past, present and even future events start to formulate in his head. It's these future images which begin to perplex Jack. While under this psychotropic treatment, Jack is able to see his own future and impeding death. He is able to determine that his death will occur in the very near future, and he has only four days to prevent it from happening. As the film progresses it becomes of film of desperation as Jack races against time, must fight for his continued treatments, and hunt for clues to the cause of his looming death.

As I said at the beginning of this review, the film seems very familiar. Though the circumstances surrounding Jack's treatment are nothing like the Ashton Kutcher film; the memory sequencing scenes do seem very similar nonetheless. Although I did enjoy this film, it's really does leave you feeling that you've seen it all before.... Anyways, the film is worth taking a chance on.


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WARNING THIS IS NOT THE JACKIE CHAN MOVIE!
I walked into this movie expecting a light-hearted comedy in the vein of Jackie Chan's recent blockbuster smash "the Tuxedo." OMG, I was sooooo wrong! The film is instead (to provide a metaphor) a "jacket" into which the director straps his social commentary. Sorry I had to work that in.
The film opens with the sort of footage from Desert Storm that was released to news stations in the early 90s. If i recall correctly, classical music is played over the footage. It becomes painfully obvious that the director is trying to emphasize the impersonal nature of modern-day war. Society's tendency to shut away the inevitable side-effects of our actions is paralleled through the treatment of Adrien Brody's character, a gulf-war vet who believes he has died twice (OMG, just like how we have had two Iraq wars...genius metaphor, dude!) His treatment at the insane asylum consists of his being locked away inside a dark enclosure. (This is sooooo a metaphor for how we as a country ignore our war vets, and how society has become so detached from war that a rich kid can drive a humvee and wear camouflaged pants from American Eagle while his poorer counterpart dies abroad.)

The film is also highly disturbing. For example, I was highly disturbed during a sex scene when I saw how small Keira Knightley's breasts are (I had to be restrained from leaving the theatre.) The film also has a weird obsession with children (he gets shot by a child in iraq, he helps cure a child, forms a relationship with Keira Knightley as a child, and the previous patient in his psych ward was a child molestor.) This might be your run-of-the-mill loss of innocence type metaphor, or the film's director might just be a child molestor (all the great ones are.) If i had to guess I'd say its probably both. Check it: Adrien Brody has sex with Kiera Knightley's character in 2007 except he meets her in 1993, and in reality he's still in the chamber in 1993 (I apologize, this doesnt make sense if you havent seen the movie) so basically he's having sex with her as a kid! Awesome! Adrien Brody rules!

Anyway in all seriousness I thought this movie was good. It reminded me a bit of a darker and not as original Eternal Sunshine on the Spotless Mind. However, the person I saw it with thought it was boring, and the guy in the front row through his popcorn at the screen. So you know what? You'll have to make your own decision.
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If you've seen Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer, then you know the entire plot of Scary Movie. That's okay, though, because this is a parody, and it helps to know the story in order to be able to get the jokes. No, the biggest surprise here is not thestory as much as the amount of full-frontal male nudity. Really, in addition to all the dick jokes (and the ass jokes and fart jokes), there's a couple of shots of the male member, one of which is erect and used as a weapon. Scary Movie somehow ended up with an R rating, which in a sense is groundbreaking; perhaps our ratings board is loosening up after all.

But is it funny? That's the most important question, and the answer to that is yes. In the vein of Airplane!, with a dash of the Farrelly brothers, Scary Movie keeps throwing jokes at you one after another. The law of averages says some of them have to hit, and enough of them do to keep the movie entertaining. Unlike the makers of Airplane!, however, the Wayans brothers aren't making this movie out of a love of the genre, and unlike the Farrelly brothers, they don't make fun of retarded people with any sort of respect, so the humor throughout feels a lot uglier. Still, there are enough funny scenes in Scary Movie to make the viewing experience worthwhile. Special credit must go to Lochlyn Munro as Greg, the over-the-top jock, who steals the movie up until the time he's gotta die.--Andy Spletzer ... Read more

Reviews (435)

Stupid......but funny
Scary Movie is a spoof of recent horror movies (I Know what you did Last Summer, Scream, Scream 2, The Sixth Sense, The Blair Witch Project)
and it even makes fun of non-horror films like (The Usual Suspects,
Titanic and The Matrix). When it's not making fun of movies though
it's making fun of everything else, how this movie round up with an
R-Rating and isn't NC-17 is beyond me because I don't think I've seen
so many penis jokes, gay jokes, or racist jokes in one movie. Scary Movie
offers alot of laughs but what got me giggling the most was the special-ed
student and part-time security guardd Doofy, the retarted deputy who's
obviously poking fun at Dewey from Scream. He was the showstealer
for me because all his lines were just hilarious and were delivered
great by Dave Sheridan. Also good in their roles are Shawn
Wayans as a gay football player who slaps the butt of each player
as they go by in the lockerroom, Marlon Wayans as a pot smoking horror
film buff. Newcomer Anna Faris as Cindy