C.A. Milson's Blog, page 242

Movie Review – Oculus (2013)

Oculus (2013)

Stars: Karen Gillan; Brenton Thwaites; Katee Sackhoff

Directed By: Mike Flanagan

IMDB Rating: 6.8

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Plot: A woman tries to exonerate her brother, who was convicted of murder, by proving that the crime was committed by a supernatural phenomenon.

Review: I love movies… Plan and simple. Good ones, bad ones and ones that are superb. “Oculus” comes in as a decent winner that I would watch again. I will admit that with the parallel storyline it did take me a little while to catch on to what was going on, but when I did I am glad I watched this to the very end.

I have been a fan of Karen Gillan since I saw her in Dr Who, and in this film she certainly shows how much of an up and coming bankable actor she is.

The story centers on the two main characters, Kaylie & Tim Russell (Karen Gillan & Brenton Thwaites), and the events that took place in the Russell household 11 years before. Tim has recently been released from a mental institution where he spent most of his younger years after being part of a family tragedy. Only hours after being removed from the hospital, Kaylie convinces Tim that a mirror procured and displayed at the Russell household was the cause of their violent childhood. As their night alone with the mirror draws along, Kaylie and Tim soon learn that the mirror is still a dominant force and their attempts at destroying it soon become a race for their own survival, as they try to distinguish between what is reality and what is an illusion.

Good horror films are few and far between, and this relatively low budget film (reportedly done for $5Million) certainly lived up to the hype I have heard.

If you have not watched in, then grab the popcorn, turn off the lights and watch it.. You wont look at mirrors the same way again :)

Rating: 8 out of 10

 

 

Filed under: Movie Reviews Tagged: Brenton Thwaites, Karen Gillan, Katee Sackhoff, Oculus (2013)

Game Review – Thief

Thief is a stealth video game developed by Eidos Montreal and published by Square Enix. It is a revival of the cult classic Thief series of stealth games, of which it is the fourth game. It was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One platforms.

 

Summary: The story begins when Garrett is paired with his former apprentice, Erin, who both ended up accepting the same job from their contact Basso. On their way there, Garrett steals Erin’s claw without her noticing, because she usually uses it to kill guards when not necessary. They arrive at their job’s location, Baron Northcrest’s manor, and find a ritual taking place. Garrett gets a bad feeling and calls off the job, but Erin disagrees and she ends up falling into the center of the ritual, which was nearing its completion. Erin stops and floats in mid-air as she is surrounded by the ritual’s energy. Garrett, while looking down at the light, has part of the stone that was used for the ritual embedded in his eye which then begins to glow and collapses.

Review: The first time I got to try this game out was on one of my mates Xbox One. I will say that at first I was expecting a game that was predictable and a pain in the ass like Assassins Creed. Man was I in for a treat! You play as Garratt, a thief by trade, and whose mission is to find out what happened to Erin after she fell through the glass ceiling into the ritual.

Stealth is your way, much like a ninja, as you explore the city in the dark of night and steal anything and everything that is not locked down. The only thing standing in your way of riches are guards, wannabe do-gooders, and local authority figures. The only thing that comes across one’s mind when you see a guard nearby is “Do I shoot this guy in the face with an arrow or wait til they leave”. (Take note that not all guards can be killed with one shot).

The gameplay is smooth enough from my perspective. The main mission was certainly challenging and captivating, although I will say that when you are exploring the Asylum, you will come across creatures that look like they were “borrowed” from silent hill (See screenshot below)

I will say that when you encounter these creatures (and you will), killing them is not so easily done (as I found out). Using stealth to sneak up and kill these creatures will not work, and you can bet you will use a lot of arrows to kill just one. You will come across these creatures in the Asylum and later on in the pit. Consider it lucky that these freaks are blind, but their hearing is exceptional, so avoid making much noise or you’ll be killed quickly. Best advice is save often in the game, or you’ll find yourself restarting from your last save-point.

Keep a lookout for hidden passages and secret rooms along the way, and, oh yes, not to forget the hidden passages behind the whorehouse where you will get to be a voyeur :)

If you have not played Thief, then I recommend that you do.

Gameplay: 9 out of 10

Storyline: 7 out of 10 (Had to deducted 2 points due to annoying Silent Hill freaks)

 

 

Filed under: Gaming Reviews Tagged: Eidos Montreal, Square Enix, Thief

Movie Review – Alien Abduction (2014)

Alien Abduction (2014)

Stars: Katherine Sigismund; Corey Eid; Riley Polanski; Jillian Clare.

IMDB Rating: 5.1

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Plot: A vacationing family encounters an alien threat in this thriller based on the real-life Brown Mountain Lights phenomenon in North Carolina.

Review: Another film of the “Found Footage” genre. I have said this in a previous post, that there is a wave of “found footage” films cropping up all over the place, and everyone seeming to want to jump on the bandwagon success of “Blair Witch”. Now, while some “Found Footage” films I have seen are quite good, there are also those that really do not make the grade.

This is one of them….

The film starts off with the ending… An alien carries a camera over to a garbage chute and jettisons the camera back to Earth, from near orbit. We see the camera plummet to Earth, and while any other camera would have smashed to pieces on impact, this camera had some remarkable properties as it seemed to have no damage other than a cracked lens.

That is where my attention span switched off for the most part.

The story of this film is about the Morris family who venture into the Brown Mountains for a camping trip, when they witness a strange light phenomena in the sky and then they find themselves running for their lives as eerie lights track their every movement, while being stalked by other worldly creatures, who seem to also like to ransack cars after they abduct people, (or so it seems).

While the film is based on the actual Brown Mountains Light Phenomenon, the only similarity here was that it was shot in the same region. That is where any resemblance to fact ends. The acting was okay, the alien “lets scare the hell out of everyone” scenes were predictable to the point where it wouldn’t scare me out of a daydream, and the after-footage scene (during credits) was tiresome.

(I wont post the dialogue here on that scene, but I will just say that the scene is set 12 months later, and as the police officer arrives to the scene in his cruiser, he knows straight away that the guy sitting on the roadside is the abducted father)

This film had promise, but it could have been better in my opinion. If low budget, alien abduction films are your thing, watch this, otherwise, watch “The Fourth Kind” or “Fire In The Sky” instead.

My Rating: 4 out of 10.

 

Filed under: Movie Reviews Tagged: Alien Abduction (2014), Brown Mountain lights phenomenon, Corey Eid, found footage, Jillian Clare, Katherine Sigismund, Riley Polanski

Movie Review – Survival Code (2013)

Survival Code (2013)

“Borealis” (Original Title)

Stars: Ty Olsson; Patrick Gallagher; Michelle Harrison; Christine Horne; Cristina Rosato

IMDB Rating: 6.5

Plot: “Borealis” is a peek into the future, set in a globally warmed north. The year is 2045 and the ice caps have melted, enabling the discovery of the last oil and gas reserve on the planet are in the Canadian North. It’s a future we have all seen coming for years. Borealis is the “gold rush” town that springs up to give ya anything you need. For a price.

Review: At first glance, one would be forgiven to think that this is a stand-alone movie. But, as you get into the storyline, it becomes obvious that “Survival Code” is made for a TV Pilot.

In the very foreseeable future, the artic ice-cap has melted, which has opened the doors to new trade routes, oil fields, mining operations, illegal drug trafficking, Russian bad-guys and poaching.

The focus of the Arctic operation is Vic Carboneau; Customs Officer; Bar Owner; Ex-Cage Fighter (Played by Ty Olsson, who has a long list of credits to his name including the role of Benny in Supernatural). Who struggles to keep the peace with all factions, while trying to maintain his “tough guy” image to everyone around him, including his sex interest, Alison Freemont (Michelle Harrison). The tension between Vic and Alison is wonderful. It is obvious he is interested in her, but she is more interested in saving what’s left of the environment and endangered species, rather than have a romp in the show with Vic :) (Watch for the shoot down she gives him in her base camp when he goes there to pop in for “a drink”)

Enter the bad guys… With the current political tension that we see going on currently in Russia (with Vlad Putin trying to take over the world, one former Russian country at a time), it comes as no surprise that the bad guys in this are stereotyped Russians. In the rest of the line-up we have the American archaeologist (Greyson Holt), whose research is funded by the Russians, an activist (Michelle Harrison) who is determined to protect what remains of the ecosystem, and the international diplomat, Svetlana, (Christine Horne) who tries to come across that she is not taking sides, when it is evident that she is.

The local “law enforcement” detail lead by the ball-less Raminder (Karan Oberoi) and lastly, the local prostitute, Bettina (played by Christina Rosato). A minor role for each of these two actors, but worth mentioning nonetheless.

“Survival Code” may come across as a “Defiance” type movie, but it is still worth sitting down to watch for 90 minutes. I watched this movie a few days ago, and I may end up watching it again later today, which is a rarity for me.

It certainly does have the beginnings and potential to be a good TV series, and it would be a shame to see this not funded for a series. It is not often that good quality programming graces our screens, and this one I would like to see get picked up for at least a few seasons.

My Rating: 9.5 out of 10.

Filed under: Movie Reviews Tagged: Borealis, Christine Horne, Cristina Rosato, Michelle Harrison, Survival Code (2013), Ty Olsson

Movie Review – Dead Mine (2012)

Dead Mine (2012)

Stars: Miki Mizuno; Sam Hazeldine; Ario Bayu; Les Loveday; Joe Taslim; Mike Lewis

IMDB Rating: 4.6

Plot: The legend of Yamashita’s Gold lures a treasure hunter and his group deep into the Indonesian jungle. Once they are trapped in an abandoned World War II Japanese bunker, they face the terrifying reality that the only way out is to go further in.

 

Review: To say anything good about this movie would be an overstatement, and forced – much like the acting in this film. “Dead Mine” is one heck of a dreadful movie.

The story is simple as it comes, and has been so many times before: Treasure hunter playboy leads a ragtag band of mercs to search for an alleged gold mine. Only difference here is that it is set in a Japanese WWII bunker, and as soon as the gang gets trapped in the bunker, you may as well switch over to watch “The Descent” instead.

There is quite a strong influence in this movie to “The Descent”, with underground tunnels and caves, and of course the “pit” where decaying and rotting bodies lay waste.

If you like stereotyped characters reminiscent of cheesy 1980′s action flicks, invincible super samurai’s, and hardly any real storyline, then watch this film. At least you will know what will happen in the end. Although I don’t normally give the ending away, in this case I will make an exception. Everyone dies at the hands of the Mutant P.O.W. Super-soldiers (who look like “Bane” wanna-be groupies) and Super-Samurai’s.

My Rating: 0.5 out of 10.

Filed under: Movie Reviews Tagged: Ario Bayu, Asian horror, Dead Mine 2012, Japanese bunker, Les Loveday, Miki Mizuno, Sam Hazeldine, samurai, the descent, Yamashita's Gold

Movie Review – Life Tracker (2013)

Life Tracker (2013)

Stars: Barry Finnegan; Rebecca Marshall; Matt Dallas

IMDB Rating: 5.0

Plot: Dillon stumbles on a little known news story about a company called Life Tracker Limited, which claims it has discovered a way to predict biological events in a human’s life by looking at their DNA. Everyone views the story as a modern day form of palm reading that will go nowhere, but Dillon keeps turning on his camera when he finds articles on the Internet or hears about it on the news. The story keeps getting bigger. People all over the world are paying tons of money to see if their DNA shows any trace of disease, or future children, or when they’ll die. With little to no resources, Dillon is left to guerrilla style street interviews and filming the reactions of his small group of friends. When Dillon, his best friend Scott, and Scott’s girlfriend Bell all get their futures predicted their lives start to change… along with the world itself. Nothing is physically changed in any single person’s day-to-day life, but the ideas that have been put in people’s heads convince them to flip the world upside-down. That’s when things start to get out of hand. From the intimate relationships in our every day lives, to the literal future of the human race, nothing will ever be the same after Life Tracker.

Review: “What if” you could know details of your future from your DNA print? An interesting concept to say the least.

The film starts out pretty slow, with Dillon (Barry Finnegan) being the eternal procrastinator who never finishes what he starts. That is until he stumbles upon a little known news story about DNA tracking, where a company “Life Tracker Ltd” has announced that they can track future events of a person’s life by tracking their DNA.

The two other main characters of this film (Bell & Scott) lend a hand to Dillon’s film project and join on on the ride to finish what he started.

Friendships are tested to breaking point in this doco-style film (turned time-capsule film), as each one of them get their “future read”. Such as Bell (Rebecca Marshall) finding out she would have kids to Dillon (and not Scott, as she had planned to), and the Belfast Clock and World Clock ticking down to Doomsday.

When DDay clock expires for Belfast, and no great apocalypse has happened, life goes on… Or so we think. Rather than say anything more about the storyline, and what unfolds, I will only say that you will need to see this film.

While there are no zombies, aliens, or ghosts lurking about in this “found footage” film (thank goodness for that), there is enough suspense to keep you watching until the very end, and I just wish that there were more films like this, but even though those are few and far between.

The acting is believable by the three main actors of this film. Dillon is the apartment manager, stuck in a job he really does not like, struggling with his own fate of being the forever “friend-zoned” lonely guy who never finishes what he starts. Bell is the girlfriend of Scott, who has big dreams for her life, most of which involve Scott. Scott is cruisy and almost BFF’s with Dillon.

“Life Tracker” gives you something to think about. I would highly recommend this film to anyone who is looking for a good “found footage” film.

My Rating: 9 out of 10

~ Chris

Filed under: Movie Reviews Tagged: Barry Finnegan, Found Footage Film, Life Tracker (2013), Matt Dallas, Rebecca Marshall

Movie Review – SX Tape (2013)

SX Tape (2013)

Stars: Caitlyn Folley; Ian Duncan.

IMDB Rating: 4.3

Plot: What begins as harmless sex games between a free-spirited artist and her videographer boyfriend turns much darker as the pair breaks into a boarded-up former hospital, looking for a space for a new gallery show. As they investigate the building’s ominous rooms and passageways, a seductive prank, meaning to arouse and terrify, goes terribly wrong – and what is discovered will destroy them both.

Review: “SXTape” is a “found footage” movie, that has jumped on the bandwagon of successful films such as “Blair Witch” or “Paranormal Activity”. While the title may imply that there are sex scenes that you can feast your eyes on, you don’t actually see anything, apart from one nudity scene early on in the film and an implied threesome which Adam later sees on the security footage.

The story of “SX Tape” is not anything new by any standards, but it was thought out well enough to bring another “horror found footage” movie to the market. While it was interesting to a point, and had a one or two chill points along the way, the movie did lack the real scare factor to keep this audience engaged.

For those who are GAC fans, you will notice that filming was done at the abandoned Linda Vista Community Hospital. Also where numerous other films and movies have been made.

There are a few flaws in this film. Such as for a building that has been abandoned for decades, there is still power and running water. Other flaws you can pick for yourself if you decide to watch this movie.

The acting was nicely done by Caitlyn Folley (Jill), but as for the rest of the film, I would pass.

My Rating: 2 out of 10.

~ Chris

Filed under: Movie Reviews Tagged: found footage, indie horror, Linda Vista, Paranormal Activity, SXtape (2013)

Movie Review – Trust Me (2013)

Trust me (2013)

Stars: Clark Gregg; Felicity Huffman; William H. Macy; Amanda Peet; Sam Rockwell; Saxon Sharbino

IMDB Rating: 6.8

Plot: A struggling agent for child actors and former child star himself, Howard Holloway spends years losing his most talented clients to his slick, arch-nemesis Aldo Shocklee. Until the day that Howard encounters the brilliant and unsigned 13 year-old Lydia who is on the brink of securing the lead in a new Twilight-style franchise. Howard tries desperately to close the deal of a lifetime and make his precocious young client a star while managing her drunk, volatile father, Aldo’s relentless poaching attempts, and the hostile machinations of the project’s casting director and mega producer, who both despise him. But the closer he gets to achieving the Hollywood score he has chased all his life, the more he develops a growing suspicion that his innocent young starlet may not be at all what she seems.

Review: “Trust Me” is a story that is simple enough. A former child star is now an agent in Hollywood representing child actors. He’s not doing too well in his chosen career; his clients are stolen by another agent (Sam Rockwell), and he’s struggling to make ends meet. His fortune changes when he signs a young unknown actress, with a dad who frequently threatens to destroy everything.

What starts out as a light-hearted comedy soon turns into a thriller, and shows that at the end of the day, if you wear your heart on your sleeve, you’re gonna end up shafted by someone. And in this film, showing that you have a shred of humanity does not pay off, especially when those you would call “associates” are down right manipulative and will do anything to screw someone over.

This gem of a movie is directed by Clark Gregg, whom you may know better as S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Phil Coulson (“Iron Man”, “The Avengers”, and “Marvel: Agents of Shield”).  Some wonderful performances by Amanda Peet (as Howards love interest) and Sam Rockwell (as Howards nemesis). Gregg has managed to assemble a good cast for this film, and it shows in their performances just how well they work together.

To say much about this film will give away too many spoilers, so I will just say that the directing by Clark Gregg is fantastic, and watch for the brilliant acting by Saxon Sharbino, who in my opinion is an actress to keep on your radar (Watch for her in the “Poltergeist” remake coming in 2015, which also stars Sam Rockwell).

My Rating: 8 out of 10.

 

 

Filed under: Movie Reviews Tagged: Amanda peet, Clark Gregg, Sam Rockwell, Saxon Sharbino, Trust Me (2013), William H. Macy

Movie Review – Screwballs II – Loose Screws (1985)

Screwballs II – Loose Screws (1985)

Stars: Bryan Genesse; Lance Van Der Kolk; Alan Deveau; Jason Warren; Mike MacDonald

IMDB Rating: 3.8

Plot: This comedy follows four boys named Brad Lovett (Bryan Genesse), Steve Hardman (Lance Van Der Kolk), Hugh G. Rection (Alan Deveau) and Marvin Eatmore (Jason Warren). They’re forced to attend summer school at Coxwell Academy under the watchful eye of Principal Arsenault (Mike MacDonald). While there, the boys play a game where they earn points for scoring with a girl. Each decides to go for the ultimate 100-point score, Mona Lott (Cynthia Belliveau), the new French teacher. But when they’re unable to get a shot at her, they end up in Principal Arsenault’s unforgiving clutches. After all is lost, they take one final chance during the school’s anniversary celebration.

Review: The first time I saw this film was in 1987. At the time I thought that this was an okay movie. Of course, I rented it from the local video store a few more times back then…. Fast forward to 2014. Reflecting on some memories of the movies I had watched in my teenage years, I decided to watch this again, and I think that it will probably be another decade before I watch this again.

The plot sees our fun-loving idiot troupe having to attend Summer school after successfully failing year 12 for the fourth time. They’ve been at Coxwell Academy for about five seconds before they become fixated on seeing their sexy French teacher, Miss Mona Lott, naked. And there is your entire plot – if you want to call it that. The story is one we have seen too many times before. A group of buddies try and score to satisfy their out of control hormones, and fail miserably for the most part. One would think that with their raging hormones, they would be easier satisfied by visiting a local brothel to take care of business, rather than try and score with that which is obviously out of their league.

The one-liners are as cheesy as the character names. One of the film’s so-called highlights is a beach party sequence that takes place on a Canadian shore and features group choreography to one of the film’s many bad 80′s pop tunes entitled  “Do the Screw.” Be that as it may, it seemed to come across as an 80′s revamp of Frankie Avalon’s “Beach Party” beach dance sequence – with the exception that it was far more lame.

Topping things off in this train wreck of a film is the revenge sequence with the main characters wreaking havoc at the unveiling of a statue of the academy’s esteemed founder. The boys get their day with the public humiliation of all the authority figures along with the unveiling of Miss Lott, in which she does a bad striptease number and removes her dress and bra (if anyone was paying attention, she revealed the same amount of T&A earlier in the film, a few times) and not to forget the ending with our heroes suddenly becoming a techno-pop band like in Revenge Of The Nerds.

The failings in this movie are too numerous to mention.

Now that I am older and wiser (so I would like to think anyway), this is a real lame movie, and it may be another decade or so before I watch this again – and only then to show my son (when he is a teenager) the type of crappy movies that came out in the 1980′s.

My rating: 1 out of 10.

Filed under: Movie Reviews Tagged: Loose Screws, Screwballs II

Game Review – Mirror’s Edge

Headed in an added direction, we will be reviewing games from time to time.

The first game we will review is Mirror’s Edge, from EA DICE.

Summary: In a city where information is heavily monitored, agile couriers called runners transport sensitive data away from prying eyes. In this seemingly utopian paradise, a crime has been committed, your sister has been framed and now you are being hunted. You are a runner called Faith – and this innovative first-person action-adventure is your story. Flow is what keeps you running, what keeps you alive. Mirror’s Edge delivers you straight into the shoes of this heroine as she traverses the cityscape, engaging in combat and fast paced chases. With a never before seen sense of movement and perspective, you will be drawn into Faith’s world. A world that is visceral, immediate, and very dangerous. Live or die? Soar or plummet? One thing is certain: in this city you will learn how to run.

Review: The setup is simple. There’s a nebulous government attempting to squash the resistance networks of which you’re a part. You play as Faith, a athletic runner caught in an ill-defined web of conspiracy and betrayal, and it seems your only way out is to run your ass off.

The Xbox demo made Mirror’s Edge look like fun, but in essence, it turns out to be a game that can make you so mad that you’ll want to rip the disc out of the console and throw it as far as you can. :) The game’s emphasis is on flight rather than fight, which is fine if you have some superhuman abilities, and have the weapons to defend yourself. But when you take a character that can’t really fight her way out of a wet paper bag, and stick the player in situations where it is impossible to do anything except run, then this is where the game becomes not only challenging but downright frustrating and tedious.

In the beginning of the second chapter, it opens with Faith having to make her way down into a sewer system, with a SWAT team already firing on her from the ground and from the air. The only way down into the sewer system this landscape is to get up to the metal beam overhead, then take a flying jump down to a narrow platform below, while getting your ass shot off by the SWAT team. If you manage to make it that far, then you have to perform almost impossible aerial aerobatics to get to the next platforms and pipes, and if you miss your mark, then you restart the mission from the beginning of the chapter.

The tutorial (the Demo) was easy enough, which made this game look like it would be fun to play. But the actual game itself? Forget stringing moves you did in the tutorial. In the game-play you can barely do the basics because, surprise, you’re being shot at non stop. Which pretty much sums up the game. You run your ass off while trying to find where you are meant to go, while at the same time you are getting your ass shot off.

The checkpoints are VERY widely spaced in this game. If you stuff up somewhere along the line (and you will), you can expect to redo large sectors of the game only to be killed off again and again. (Keep in mind there is no time to stop and look around properly in the environment. You mission is to RUN, and if you make the mistake of stopping for too long to find out where you are, then you can expect to be killed off by the SWAT either on the ground or in the chopper).

In all, the game had a lot of promise, but failed to deliver, hence why it was probably in the bargain bin.

Filed under: Gaming Reviews Tagged: EA DICE, game demo, Mirrors Edge, Xbox