The Condemned

A three year old action movie by rising action star "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. About a producer who acquires death row inmates from around the world to be dropped onto a deserted island and let loose for the benefit of his internet PPV extravaganza.

Sounds like the plot of an 80s action movie. And it plays out like one too. And incidentally made a better 80s action throwback than the recent attempt at doing just that The Expendables did. And it had a better cast and I would bet, a hell of a lot more money to work with.

There's nothing to write home about with this movie, it is what it is. Very much in the grain of Commando, Rambo II and the such. Was a decent action movie.

Dare I say though, that the main villain, Vinny Jones seemed to have more character than the the main character Austin did.

2.5 Stars out of 5 (Worth renting for action aficionados )

Dark Rising

I seen this movie on the shelf at Blockbuster several times. And it looked interesting if for no other reason than the green cover with the babe in some sort of bikini armor and a helmet on.

As it turns out, it's a Canadian film made about 3 years ago. And it was kind of interesting beyond said warrior woman in skimpy armor.

The star of the movie was WWE Christian. Well, he was the best friend of the star I guess. But he had the best role. He was interesting and funny. And all around a good performance.

As for the rest of the movie, beyond some brief nudity and a story that reminded me of the old Evil Dead movies without the log cabin. Wasn't much to see.

It ends with what appears to be a cliff for a sequel. But somehow, I doubt one will be coming any time soon.

So if you want to see a Horror / Comedy with some Nudity and a funny performance from Christian this is your movie.

2.5 Stars out of 5 (better rent it to be safe)

Fall Premieres

It's that time of year again, and over the next month or so the new shows will be premiering on TV. So far NCIS and NCIS: Los Angeles have premiered. I seen both, and was not impressed. Can't say I have been to impressed with LA anyway.

But hopefully over the next 19 or so episodes NCIS will get better. Wasn't a very entertaining start.

House also started, but I didn't watch it. Waiting right now on Fringe and Supernatural to come up.

The Gamers

Managed to see The Gamers : Dorkness Rising. And if you have ever played tabletop RPGs before and especially Dungeons & Dragons you will love this movie.

It's a low budget, basically fan film about the adventure of a group of gamers and their campaign. Just like a fan movie of the comic Knights of the Dinner Table. It's funny, and the stuff that goes on should be very recognizable to gamers.

There are lots of nods to the tropes of the genre. Including a appearance of Nodwick, and the line 'Waste'em with my crossbow'

This was more entertaining, and even more with the in game parts than the two official D&D movies combines. Someone should give these people some money for better costumes and CG effects and let them make more.

4 out of 5 Go see it right away

Wall Street Money Never Sleeps

Managed to make it in to see it this weekend. I hadn't seen the original in years and years. I liked the movie, was pretty good.

I could see how people would find it boring, with all the financial mumbo jumbo for like two hours. I know I didn't understand it. The character reactions kept me on track on whether it was good news or bad news once it all got a little in depth.

Performances were good, I was a little surprised at how the woman who played Shia's fiance Gekkos daughter, was able to cry on command and turn the water works on. Maybe they kept the onions on hand.

Overall, a worthy sequel that felt like a natural continuation of the original and even had some nice appearances from old faces. Namely Oliver Stone himself, and Charlie Sheen. And Sheen wasn't just a walk on. He had some lines, and a neat catch up of what happened while Gordon was in jail.

3 stars our of 5. Go see it if you liked the original.

The Town

Second movie up this weekend was The Town. I wasn't up for Ben on Friday night, was still in doubt about it. So I went to see Devil first.

But, The Town was a great movie. I quite enjoyed it. Good Heist movie, nothing too dumb going on. Bens acting was pretty good, and I usually don't like him much. Once it was over I felt like going home and throwing 'Heat' into the DVD player.

I would think that maybe Ben is better served in making movies rather than starring in them. I havn't seen his other acclaimed movie, but if it's as good then I would say this is true. And if him and Damon can get together. And have Matt star and Afflect write and direct we could have a great movie.

But, back to the Town. Go See it. I almost feel like going again.

4 out of 5 stars

DEVIL

This was a pleasant surprise. I guess it may go to show that M. Night may be better placed these days in the idea department and let other people run with it, putting together the scripts and directing the movies.

This movie turned out plenty entertaining. And the movie focused on the cast stuck in an elevator for the whole movie, wasn't as boring or anything as I would have thought. Reminded me a lot of Clue the movie without the comedy.

Who killed who, with what and when.. Seeing as every time the lights went out, someone was going to die. Also felt a lot like an extended episode of Twilight Zone..

I wouldn't quite call it a horror movie at all, more of a Thriller to me. If anything I was dissappointed in that the 'Devil' wasn't quite as creepy or supernatural as I would have liked. The black contact lenses are just done to death. I would have prefferred a spectre like entity with horns and some smoldering or something that just fades away at the end when he loses.

Well worth seeing, and hopefully we won't have to wait 2 years for the next one..

3.5 stars our of 5

True Blood

I guess last Sunday was the season finale.. I was hoping it wasn't so maybe something good would have happened this season. It would seem that every season just seems to get worse.

Looking at the show after having read all the books (Which were fantastic) is certainly a downer. There is so much material that they could be using, especially with 12 or 13 episode seasons there just is no excuse for the crap that the last two seasons have been.

I can't think of any real way to describe it except as a mess. This season more so than last, I didn't like the whole Maryanne thing. But this season.. Well, Russell was fun to watch. And I like most of the characters. It's just what their doing with them. I feel like they are throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks.. And just plucking them out of the books at Random. Vampire King - Check, Were Panthers involved with Jason - Check, Alienate Bill - Check, Fairies - Check, Introduce Al Herveaux - Check.. I mean I just felt lost and adrift trying to watch this week to week. When I know the books had so much that could have been adapted sensibly. And certainly with short seasons would have lasted long enough for them..

Ick.. Well, heres hoping next season is better. It would almost have to be.

Twilight Saga - Revisited

Just finished reading the books for the Twilight Saga, all five of them. Which should be no surprise to anyone who reads books and then sees the movies based on them. Generally the books are much better than the movies. Not always, but a majority of the time.

I've seen all the movies so far, and they have gotten progressively better. But the books for obvious reasons are just more detailed, and deeper. The movies seem to be tightly focused on the romantic relationship between Bella and Edward. And that's how it starts, and never disappears. But there was a lot more stuff going on beyond just that.

I kind of hope there would be another book, but so far doesn't seem like it. And the story seems mostly complete at the end of Breaking Dawn and so be it.

The State of Professional Wrestling

It's been at least a year now or more since I decided to start watching Pro Wrestling again. Which these days pretty much means WWF(E) since I don't get TNA and haven't seen anything of ROH.

So after a years worth of Raw and Smackdown and WWE Vintage Collection. I would have to say, I wish that they would give 'Mean' Gene Okerlund a 3 hour show every week. The old vintage matches from the 80s and 90s are so much better than what we get from week and week out.

Now, I just recently went to a live house show of Smackdown back in the spring, and it was a great show. But when I watch the shows and the PPVs week in and month out. They are supposed to be part of a bigger picture.

These pictures are just mostly boring but serviceable. Now, I grew up with this stuff. I used to go to the Atlantic Grand Prix wrestling live shows when I was a small kid every time they passed through town. I watched it on TV religiously.

The thing that seems to strike me these days is that the WWE has re branded Pro Wrestling as Sports Entertainment. But they seem to have all but forgotten the SPORTS aspect of it.

When I watch the Vintage Collection stuff, that is the part that strikes me. We all know that it's always been about entertainment. It's a soap opera for males. But it was a SPORTS oriented soap. The ref wasn't just there to be part of the show. He was there to make sure that the matches were fair and followed the rules. Y'know the rules, the part that made it appear to be a real sporting contest and not the mostly scripted and choreographed show that it was, and still is.

This comes home a lot more with the vintage stuff because you get to see much of the shtick that they don't even bother with anymore. And now the ref just seems to hang around the ring, until one person or the other is done showboating some rediculous series of moves ( Cena and MVP come to mind, although I can see that harken back to the Rocks Peoples Elbow) and he's needed to make a three count and that's it.

Maybe it's just nostalgia since everything you grew up with is better than what's around now. Or maybe it's just like everything else, they just don't make things like they used to.

I will say one thing, I hope that TNA does well, and I get to see some of it on TV soon. WWE needs some competition. Some of the best years I remember watching was during the Monday Night Wars with Raw Vs Nitro. And that's been over for a very long time now.

Resident Evil 4 : Afterlife

Well, after four of these movies what is there left to say about them. They're not very good at anything they do. Not very scary, no horror, not creepy and hardly interesting.

But then, most of anything I can think of right off that Paul W.S. Anderson has made hasn't been any better. The acting was decent, nothing wrong with the special effects. Movie was long enough. But as seems to be par for the course the story was mostly non existent.

And at this point, when they keep harping about how the world has succumbed to the T Virus and we see all this global destruction.. Where does Umbrella keep getting all these toys from anyway?? Do they have massive manufacturing plants on the moon or something?? If the movie was any good really, and made much sense within it's own paradigm we would have what they call 'suspension of disbelief' but we don't..

And they seem to have tossed in some seven foot tall Super Mutant with an Axe Hammer for good measure.. Not too mention why were all the zombies in L.A. congregated at the one sky scraper anyway.. They aren't supposed to be that intelligent or were the people in the building making sure to goad them back when their goldfish memories forgot about them.. I mean it would have taken some work to get them all there from every corner of the city..

After four installments these movies are just tiring, their not horror, action, drama, scary, creepy, interesting or much of anything really but a waste of money and two hours of time give or take.. Not even good spectacle movies Ala Independence Day, 2012 or anything else done by Devlin or Emmerich.. And least of which not even a good Zombie movie..

And let's not forgot except for some name dropping and the title, the movie(s) have pretty much nothing to do with the games. And the story for Resident Evil 5 (The game) was more interesting than this movie.

1.5 out of 5 (Don't even rent it)

Machete

After years and years Danny Trejo finally has a movie of his own. He's been in damn near everything over the years. And also had a part in this years movie Predators. Which I dare say was a much better outing for him.

This movie didn't quite seem to know what it was.. A homage to the old 80s crazy over the top action movies, with just unbelievable stunts, shooting, and even the old 80s staple of topless chicks which you never see in movies anymore. Speaking of which, one being Lindsay Lohan I wish I still hadn't seen. Putting her in a movie with Robert DeNiro was just sickening.

The other being a parady of said 80s action movies. Had the movie gone fully into one mode or the other I would have found it a lot more enjoyable. As it was, it served out a few laughs at the outrageous stunts and the straight face on Machete in the film.

It would be nice to see a sequel, and hopefully they would pull out the entire 80s playbook and make an old school action move. But I'm not going to hope too much in case they end up making a sequel to Hot Shots instead..

I realize there was a whole comedy aspect to the way things were done in the movie, but again they didn't sell me. And have been done much better in pretty much any 80s action movie that seemed to blend action with a dash of comedy much better.

2 stars out of 5 (Wait for rental)

Harry Brown

A British vigilante film starring Michael Caine. Great movie, Harry is a retired marine senior living in a run down neighborhood over run with punks, gangs and drug dealers. But he keeps to himself, and minds his own business, even being a witness to the crime around him. That is, until his sick wife dies in hospital. He may have made it on time, but he was forced to travel around on foot to avoid a gang hangout. And then later, a friend is killed after confronting them. Well, Harry has had enough. And decides to take matters into his own hands.

Great movie, and I generally like British films that aren't Monty Python. Probably not everyones cup of tea.

At least a solid rental.

3.5 out of 5