Before the fine year of 2008 draws to a close, it is time for me to do that sad, near traumatic task of composing my annual Lemon List- the worst films of 2008. It should be said that I include, in my list, films that have been released in North America/the U.S.A and not overseas. These are pictures I have seen at one point or another during the past year. Some I have reviewed here on CoP, others…well, my time was robbed enough.
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If you were to believe the buzz on the web and magazines, it is that Danny Boyle has made his ultimate masterpiece with this movie and is expected to do very well at the big movie award shows. Setting his latest movie surprisingly in India, it is difficult not to like the imagery as India is the place on earth that attacks the senses on all levels. When watching the movie, all the intensity and splendour I experienced when I visited this country some eight years ago, comes rushing back in as Boyle succeeds in harnessing the raw energy this place holds. Maybe only Tarsem Singh’s The Fall surpasses this as far as ‘beatification’ of the Indian scenery goes. Then again, that may not be a fair comparison as Tarsem Singh’s sole purpose in life seems to be shooting magnificent imagery for our viewing pleasure. Boyle on the other hands does not shy away to also show us the dirty and gritty reality of India next to its splendour, and it is this juxtaposition of images that gives a more truthful picture and a surprising backdrop for a romantic story.

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The BBCs adaptation of the classic Charlotte Bronte novel Jane Eyre was such good television that I just had to purchase the DVD and watch it again and again. I have not been that absorbed in a programme since the BBC’s adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice in the mid 90s. Jane Eyre is set in Victorian times and tells the story of a young woman named Jane (Ruth Wilson). Jane has not been treated kindly by life. Her parents died when she was a child and she was sent to live with her cruel aunt, Mrs Reed (Tara Fitzgerald), who possessed no kind feelings for her and sent her to live at Lowood school for girls.
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Even though this is basically a European production, Taken slipped by Dutch cinemas pretty much undetected. A terrible thing, because if you’re into this type of movie, this is a true gem. It’s been compared to the Bourne trilogy, to Man on Fire and to 24. But that doesn’t do it justice. It shares elements with all of those, but Taken isn’t a copycat movie. It’s way too good for that.

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There is Hollywood buzz word that has come about in the last few years, and while ‘reboot’ and its kin ‘re-start’ have been used quite nicely to put new life into various franchises, it’s starting to show signs of overkill. Overkill. What a word to kick off a review of Punisher: Warzone which is *not* a sequel to the 2004 film, but rather, yes, a ‘re-start’, which is suggesting that something went wrong in the previous film and now here is the correct intended vision from another director. Sadly, what worked for last summer’s Incredible Hulk, does not bode well for Marvel Comic’s one mat hit squad vigilante, The Punisher. If anyone thought John Travolta was over the top and camped up in the previous film, they haven’t seen anything yet.
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While I myself believe in the theory of intellegent design, and also find Darwinian’s evolution theory flawed, it would be easy for me to say, ‘Go get those humanists Ben Stein! Attack!” It also would be easy for others to say that Expelled appeals to those who already believe in, or favor the concepts of intelligent design/creationism, and thus, appeals to me. Fair enough. But show me a non-historical documentary that doesn’t give a point of view that focuses on one side or another. It’s next to impossible. The goal set should be to convince ‘the other side’ or to raise questions and debate regarding both sides of an issue. I can say Expelled is a good documentary because it does do what it sets out to do. Sadly, it also strays off it’s own subject.
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I have read the other reviews across the web, I have heard all the internet cry out in almost a unified voice : “The X-Files (2) : I Want To Believe movie stinks”. I suppose they would be correct if one compared it to the previous film made during the TV series run, the well handled Fight The Future which not only dealt with the alien conspiracy, but expanded the scope of the series, with a bigger budget, slimy aliens, explosions, attacks from swarms of mutant killer bees and making an escape on icy snowdrifts. Mulder and Scully are back again on more ice and snow- several years after the TV series closed down. There are no government conspiracies nor infectious oil slicks in this new film. What we get instead is a character study, a film which is more character driven than plot driven. Apparently, today’s audiences are such a fickle bunch that as days go by I become more and more out of touch with the rest of society…
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Two of the odd things about the After Dark Horrorfest 8 Films To Die For project is that while it may be a stamp of approval to help low budget horror and suspense films find more notice when it hits DVD, most of those films aren’t great, and then there’s always one or two that get lost in the shuffle and deserve a better fate altogether. The other oddity is that all of the 8 films roster, in a slightly edited for content form, wind up on the Sci-Fi channel within six to seven months of that DVD release. That sounds bad, but sometimes it can be for the good. Take the case of The Deaths Of Ian Stone, which has some extra boost due being one of the last credits for the late Stan Winston, who co-produced. Because of the After Dark Horrorfest format, it’s all too easy to have a few films such as Stone and the previous Horrfest year’s Gravedancers to slip under the radar.
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According to the backstory of how Hell Ride got made, it was a meeting between Quentin Tarintino and Larry Bishop, who played a batrender in Kill Bill v2, and was best known as a cult film star of several road and exploitation biker films from the late 1960’s and early 70’s. “It is your destiny to write, direct and star in a movie” Quentin is quoted as saying to Bishop. The Pulp Fiction director would also put his name on it as an executive producer. Actually, Tarintino should have considered taking his name off the film, unless he was simply giddy that his name is connected to a exploitation biker pic for the next generation. It doesn’t work. Hell Ride is indeed an accurate title- the ride is hell, that’s undisputed.
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There were a few fears I had going into the sequel to Step Up, a surprise dance hit from two years ago. Both fears were confirmed within the sequel’s first ten minutes. Despite being entertaining and energetic, the first film had lots of clunky dialog and unbelievable soap opera circumstances. The sequel is made from the same mold, and, no pun intended, really does get off on the wrong foot, at least in the first reel. It takes some time for the film to recover, the lifeline supplied by the dancing and one character who is played by Adam G. Sevani, who I had never seen before, but who steals scenes left and right from everyone else in the entire film. When his character gets interesting? They have him literally step aside.
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