#JasonBarry

[film-book]

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Film Review: TITANIC (1997): James Cameron's Masterpiece Returns For Its 25th Anniversary https://film-book.com/film-review-titanic-1997-james-camerons-masterpiece-returns-for-its-25th-anniversary/?feed_id=131202&_unique_id=63e81c6a58243

[adamwatchesmovies]

Beyond Re-Animator (2003)

If you’ve seen all three films in the Re-Animator trilogy, you may find my review of Beyond Re-Animator outrageous. I thought this was the second film in the series. I didn’t see Bride of Re-Animator before this final chapter. There’s a chance that Part 2 would've filled in the gaps; that with it, I would recognize stunning character arcs and subtle nuances around each corner. Either that or, this movie just thoroughly sucks.

For 13 years, Dr. Herbert West (Jeffrey Combs) has been serving a prison sentence after one of his experiments ran amok. That hasn’t stopped him from playing God with the rats wandering in his cell. When a young doctor named Howard Phillips (Jason Barry) comes to work at the prison, he reveals he’s been a fan of West’s work ever since he saw it first hand. The two proceed to experiment with Nano-Plasmic Energy, which should allow them to bring the dead back to life without any ill effects.

I’m not saying everyone was sleepwalking through this production, that they didn't even try... but this horror-comedy is astonishingly poorly acted. It’s unbearable. Nobody is ever convincing in the least, except Jeffrey Combs who seems somewhat enthusiastic at getting a paycheck at the expense of die-hard horror movie fans. Rather than draw your attention away from the film's other flaws, it. highlights them. Beyond Re-Animator becomes a brief glimpse into cinematic hell. You can't even enjoy it as great trash.

There’s not a whole lot of imagination in this script. It’s basically a remake of the original. Dr. Herbert West wants to experiment on the dead but has limited access to equipment thanks to the prison warden (Simón Andreu), who might as well be the dean from the original film. His roommate (in this case, co-worker) Dr. Phillips is enthusiastic about the experiments but wary that something might go wrong, and he’s in love with Laura (Elsa Pataky), the hot reporter who’s doing some kind of exposé on the prison. It’s evident early on that no one knew how to tackle another Herbert West adventure, so they threw in a bunch of clichés to pad out the running time. Make way a boring love plot featuring two actors with no chemistry, a sadistic Warden that is just as bad as the inmates, and a rapist to boot! Will West and Phillips take the proper precautions to ensure their experiments go according to plan, or will the film end in a bloody riot as zombies tear everyone in sight to pieces and devour their flesh? I’ll give you one guess.

This is the kind of film that goes in one ear and out the other immediately. I remember feeling bored and frustrated, but I can’t recall what it is that made me sigh in desperation over and over. If a severed penis sounds like pure hilarity to you, then check it out. Maybe then you’ll learn to raise your standards. Aside from some decent zombie effects, there’s nothing to like in Beyond Re-Animator. I didn’t expect it to be good, but I also didn’t think I’d hate it as much as I did. (On DVD, July 11, 2016)

[therealmrpositive]

United Passions (2014)

In today's review, I get nostalgic at the history of F.I.F.A. As I attempt a #positive review of the 2014 football association biopic, United Passions #TimRoth #GérardDepardieu #SamNeill #FisherStevens #JemimaWest #ThomasKretschmann #JasonBarry

Every four years, the nations of the world band together, in a competition pitting the best of the Footballing world against each other, known as the World Cup. We have all come to expect this global celebration as if it has always been. But this international experiment only came about in the last century, it is hard to imagine a time before it became commonplace. What of those who strove to…