Category Archives: movies

Brock talks about the original, “I Spit On Your Grave” film, and why the film works more than the remake…

Now that the original 1978 horror film, “I Spit On Your Grave” is now Netflix streamable, the film is still getting a lot of mixed responses to this day. You either love it or you hate it. I watched the original film last Sunday night. I’ve seen both versions. The original and the remake (I have the remake on DVD). While both versions got mixed opinions and Roger Ebert gave both versions negative reviews, I’m about to explain why this film is serious and why it works. While I do like both versions, I like the original a lot more than the remake. The original is a lot more realistic than the remake.

Both films are about this young woman who is a writer who takes a vacation out on her own to a cabin where she can write. Then she is stalked by a gang who works at a gas station nearby, and she was raped by all four of them. Then she goes on a killing spree, getting back at them for revenge. Both versions have similar plots, but the remake has a more modern feeling.

Reading some of the reviews by fans, some say the original movie is too gruesome and out of line. They also say the original mostly concentrated on the rapes throughout most of the film, when the revenge stuff starts toward the end of the film instead. Well, I believe that’s the way the films supposed to be. The film is mostly rapes throughout most of it ’cause they want you to get a clue that something like this can happen in real life. That’s how realistic the movie really is. The film wants to let women know that it’s okay to defend yourself if they’ve been raped. Without the gruesome rapes, and the brutal murders toward the end, the film wouldn’t have worked.

Yes, the film, both versions were going to create controversy in the media. They know the film would get banned by some countries and the media, but whatever it takes to get their point across about something serious. The films would get people angry, but I think that’s the goal with both films. The film’s goal is to bring awareness that women gets raped like this all the time, all over the world. It’s the film makers way of trying to protect women in this world. The film wasn’t made for entertainment purposes at all. I think the film was made as an educational kind of thing. The film wants to gross people out on purpose.

People also slam the original because of it’s bad acting. Well yeah. Of course. A lot of movies from the 70’s had bad acting ’cause that’s how films were back in those days. Older films like that were filmed on a tight budget, so the acting of these films are not going to be perfect. They don’t have to be Oscar worthy acting anyway. Most actors from the 70’s were amateur actors who didn’t have much experience in film, back then. Remember, those days weren’t like today’s movies at all.

It’s interesting how Netflix made the original streamable and it already got a big response. Which is understandable ’cause the title, “I Spit On Your Grave” is an eye catching title that draws people to the film quickly. The girl on the cover helps bring people to the film too. I really liked the original. The big difference between the original and the remake. The remake didn’t have much nudity in it, while the original had nudity throughout the entire film. Plus, I think the girl’s murders against her rapers were better in the original, than the remake.

If you haven’t seen this film yet, check it out if you like a pretty realistic revenge movie. I understand it’s not for everyone, but check it out and give it a try. You’ll find that it’s actually not that bad if you give it a chance, but if you find it too disturbing for your taste, that’s understandable. Like I said, I’m used to the disturbing and gross out material ’cause I’ve been watching this stuff for years. This stuff excites me.

Kev

Happy 66th Birthday to Sylvester Stallone…

Today is Sylvester Stallone’s 66th birthday. No matter what you think of Sly, love him or hate him, you can’t deny his work ethic. You can’t deny his legacy. He may have had plenty of ups and downs in his career, but I think he is past that now. In his earlier days in his career, his career was slumping terribly. In early 2000’s, Sly released the race car driving film, “Driven” which failed at the box office miserably. Then he made two direct-to-video movies “Avenging Angelo”, and “D-Tox (Eye See You)”. He came close to being like Dolph Lundgren/Van Damme, making direct-to-video movies.

Then in the year 2003, he had a brief comeback to Hollywood mainstream by starring in “Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over” as the film’s main villain. The film was a major hit, and that film was partly responsible for helping Sly get his career back on track. After that film, Sly released the direct-to-video film, “Shade” in which he played a character called, the Dean, which also had his best acting skills. Then he took a few year break from films, to do “The Contender” TV show which didn’t last long.

Later on, Sly planned a sixth installment to the Rocky franchise to close out the series. Of course, Sly’s planned, “Rocky 6” film sparked some controversy in the movie industry. I remember MGM, Irwin Winkler and Robert Chartoff didn’t approve of Sly wanting to do another Rocky, so this led to a long legal battle over this film. Movie fans and even Sly’s fans were skeptical of Sly doing another Rocky ’cause they didn’t think he could do it at this kind of age. Well, guess what? Sly won. He got “Rocky Balboa” made like he dreamed of, and the movie was a success. The movie wasn’t a big hit but it was successful. Few years later, Sly made a fourth installment to “Rambo” which was also successful.

Now, here is Sly with the two “Expendables” films. “Expendables 2” soon to be hitting theaters. You’ve got to admit that what Sly did is pretty impressive. His film career was just about dead in his earlier days. Now he’s a mainstream star again. No matter what you think of “The Expendables”, I just think Sly teaming up with all of these action stars is a good idea. If Sly didn’t do that, I’m sure he would be in a career slump again.

Congratulations and a happy birthday goes out to Sly indeed. He had quite a career ride. I’ve admired this guy for many years. I’ve seen just about all of his films. I usually don’t care to meet celebrities in person but if I could meet Sly in person someday, that would make my dream come true. I hope I do get to meet Sly someday. My hero and inspiration.

Kev

Report: Andre 3000 to cover the Beatles, Muddy Waters and others for Hendrix biopic…

Since the Jimi Hendrix estate didn’t approve, the Hendrix biopic, “All Is By My Side” to use the original Hendrix recordings for the film, that’s still not stopping the film crew for allowing Andre 3000 to cover songs for the film instead. In Jimi Hendrix’s earlier career, he started off covering other artists material. That was way before he made Bob Dylan’s “All Along The Watchtower” his anthem. Listen to the videos below, Hendrix covering the Beatles, Muddy Waters, Cream, etc.

That pic above is Andre 3000 as Hendrix on set. I’m very impressed with the look as I figure Andre would be a perfect match. It’s pretty much dead on.

More on the story, here.

Honestly, I think Janie is a bit of a bitch for not letting them use Jimi’s catalog of music. Janie is not his actual sister anyway. So what gives her the right to take total control of Jimi’s music? If Jimi himself was still alive today, he would be very flattered that his music would be considered for a movie. I think he would be honored. She’s disrespecting his legacy.

Kev

Kev

Thought: Is the horror genre pretty much dead???

I would say so, yes! When was the last book you’ve seen Stephen King do that was horror? He hasn’t done a horror novel in a long time. He’s been concentrating on other genres like science fiction, fantasy, mystery, etc. You don’t see other book authors writing horror anymore either. Dean Koontz has also been staying away from the genre a lot. Well, Stephanie Meyer released the “Twilight” series in books, but I don’t consider them horror, in my opinion.

As for the movie industry, the genre is pretty much dead there too. Most so called horror films these days are nothing but blood, gore, and naked women. Plus, most horror films of today’s are mostly popcorn action flicks anyway.

The horror genre was really big back in the 1930’s to the early 90’s, but the genre seemed to have slowly vanished in the 2000’s years. I’m a real big fan of horror. Always have been. Well, the “Saw” series sort of made horror a comeback, but I never liked the “Saw” series though, I only enjoyed the first one, not the sequels.

However, there were a few new horror films that came out that I thought was actual “horror”. Films like, “The Strangers”, “Quarantine”, and “Insidious”. I thought those three films were absolutely amazing and those films were scary as hell. I also love, “The Paranormal Activity” franchise. So good horror does come out once in a while.

I just watched the original, “I Spit On Your Grave” (the 1978) version on Netflix tonight and kept thinking to myself, this is how today’s horror films should be!

Freddy, Jason, Chucky, Hellbound, Michael Myers, all came and gone already. Now the industry is concentrating on reboots for all those characters. It would be nice if the horror genre made a comeback in a huge way. It tries to make a comeback but it fails in the box office. Seems that no one is interested in horror anymore. I just love the genre. Why do I love the genre so much? I just love the creativity of the writing. The unpredictability of the storytelling. The characters, and the intelligent writing. I just love the feeling of being dark and scary. Horror helps me become more confident in life and makes me a much stronger person. It helps makes me not get scared of anything. I’ve been reading horror novels and watching horror movies my whole life, so I’m used to the gross outs and scares.

If I was to ever become a book author myself, the horror genre is probably what I would mostly write. When I was a kid in school, all I would mostly write is short horror stories. I would write, blood, guts, and the nastiest murders you can think of. I would love to get back into horror fiction writing, but I would need to improve my writing skills and go to school for it, and all.

Horror fiction is awesome. The only time people would get interested in horror again is, if another “Paranormal Activity” or another “Saw” movie comes out, but everyone would ignore everything else. Sad really.

Kev

In honor of Tom Cruise’s 50th Birthday, his top 10 best films in his career…

Well today, iconic actor Tom Cruise, turns the big 5-0, yes he is officially 50. No matter how bat shit crazy you think he is, (I agree he is a bit of a whack job), you can’t deny that he has been in some great movie roles over the years. Instead of talking about his divorce with Katie Holmes, I think it would be great idea to celebrate his work over the years.

Here’s a list of my favorite roles that he has been in, this list is in no particular order:

  • The Outsiders – Tom’s role wasn’t very big in this film, he’s more like a supporting star, but I liked his character in it. This is one of my favorite films of all times too.
  • Risky Business – Everyone thinks movies like “The Breakfast Club” or “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” were the best teen comedy films in the 80’s, but to me, my favorite was, “Risky Business”. Tom was young in this role but his acting was great, especially that one classic scene in this movie, where he stands up from the couch, puts on the sunglasses and gives that big smile.
  • Legend – A great film by Ridley Scott, I’ve always loved the this movie.
  • Rain Man – A great drama film which also has Dustin Hoffman’s best acting.
  • Top Gun – Can’t leave this classic off the list? I’ve always loved this movie too.
  • Eyes Wide Shut – One of Stanley Kubrick’s best films. A lot of people didn’t get this movie but I did. I thought the story was great. Plus, Tom’s acting was really good in this one too.
  • Minority Report – A great sci fi adventure, directed by Spielberg. I thought this was the best Cruise/Spielberg collaboration, it’s better than the “War of the Worlds” remake.
  • Valkyrie – This was a really great film by Bryan Singer, about a group of men trying to hunt down Adolf Hitler. This is also one of Tom’s best acting roles.
  • Collateral – A good thriller by Michael Mann.
  • Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol – Probably the best Mission Impossible film.

That’s it, enjoy.

Kev

Would I go see Katy Perry’s movie, “Part of Me”, in theater? Yes, I’ll see it real soon…

I love Katy Perry! Yes, I absolutely love her! I hate most current pop music but thankfully Adele, Lady Gaga, and Katy Perry came around to save the world of pop music. Why? Because those three women are the true pop divas in today’s industry. Katy Perry is a real artist and her songwriting is great. This would probably be the next movie, I’ll see in theater. Maybe next week.

I’m not sure if I’ll cover any of Katy Perry’s songs ’cause most of her songs were meant for a woman to sing them. I just listen to her for my listening pleasure. Her songs are very catchy and they never leave your head, ya know? That’s how addicting her music is. She’s pretty inspiring to me in many ways. Can’t explain it. Her music may not be everyone’s cup of tea but if you actually listen to her, the music will grow on you.

I wish Katy would perform a concert around here, the Albany area, but she hasn’t yet. I would go right out and see her if she did come around here. She’s a fantastic artist, and she’s not a guilty pleasure either.

Kev

Would I go see the movie, “Magic Mike”? I’ll check it out but it can wait for Netflix rental…

The internet has been going crazy over Steven Soderbergh’s new movie, “Magic Mike”, a movie about male stripping that stars Channing Tatum, and Matt McConaughey. I’m not seeing it in theater not because it’ll make me feel gay for going to see it. I’m not a big fan of Channing Tatum’s acting (I also think he’s overrated). Plus, Steven Soderbergh, hasn’t made a great movie since the film, “Traffic” in 2000, that was the last great movie he did. I did like the Oceans trilogy but they weren’t the best, just entertaining. I did like, “Haywire”, but it wasn’t the best, just entertaining.

It’s mostly women going crazy over, “Magic Mike”, which is expected, but I am noticing that straight guys have went out and saw it too. I believe the movie was made for both men and women. The movie is about learning how to party and learning how to pick up women, which is what a lot of men like, so guys can go see the movie for that. The women would go see it for the half naked muscle dudes. I wonder what made Soderbergh want to make a movie like this? I bet his wife begged him to do it.

“The Dark Knight: Rises” is finally coming out in a couple of weeks, so I’ll be going to see that one instead, of course.

Kev

Cool Photo: Charlize Theron shows off her buzz cut hairdo, or could that be Sinead O’ Connor???

Yep, that’s Charlize Theron, showing off her buzz cut hairdo for the first time out in public. She’s still pretty hot! Although, she won’t keep that look forever. She’ll get the blond hair back when she’s done filming, “Mad Max: Fury Road”, which is what that look is for. I’m looking forward to seeing what her Mad Max costume is going to look like. She will star alongside, Tom Hardy, and the film will be directed by, George Miller. The film has already started shooting in Namimbia, Africa. Hopefully it’ll be good. I’m a big fan of the Mad Max movies, hopefully they can pull it off without Mel Gibson being a part of it. Hopefully, they make it a great action movie.

Kev

More on John Travolta…

*sigh* This is why I fucking hate today’s entertainment media! They won’t leave John Travolta alone! Now the reports are questioning him because he’s been spotted kissing his wife, Kelly, at the “Savages” premiere, after he’s been sued by that book author. Kudos to John. It’s just his way of staying strong. He’s not letting the bullshit get at him so kissing his wife publicly, it’s just his way of saying, “Fuck you”.

Like I said, before, if John is a closet homosexual (if he is), it’s all up to him if he wants to come out of the closet publicly. The media and the guys trying to destroy him, have no right to get into his private business. When John continues to work on film, making public appearances and stuff like that, it’s just his way of staying above the drama. Which shows, that John doesn’t care what other people think about him. It shows that John is a tough SOB.

He’s a talented man, I like a lot of his movies. I’m looking forward to “Savages”, as well. John is just moving forward and living life how he wants to, brushing off all the bullshit. He’s smart. Keep rockin’ John and don’t let the drama, bother ya.

Kev