Bad Movie Guy.com...Where There's No Such Thing As A Bad Movie!

B Movies, Cult Movies and Movies That You Might Not Have Heard Of!!

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

The Lovely Bones

How do you take a story about the death of a 14 year old girl and turn it into something both beautiful and terrifying?  Well, leave it to Peter Jackson to manage it!  And, he does exactly that with The Lovely Bones.



Susie Salmon is a normal 14 year old girl in 1974, a time that now seems simpler.  She's the apple of her father's eye, she's a bit boy crazy and she's constantly dreaming of her first kiss.  Well, all of that comes to a shocking end one evening when Susie's on her way home.  She crosses paths with a neighbor, George Harvey, who lures Susie into an underground 'hideout' where he kills her.  Now, this is ordinarily where a character leaves the film, but not this time, Susie is stuck in the 'in between', not quite heaven and not quite earth, where she watches over her family, moving between wanting them to move on and wanting revenge on her killer.

The Lovely Bones isn't quite a horror film and it's not quite a drama, it's something 'in between' too.  Saoirse Ronan is amazing as Susie, beginning the movie as a girl and ending it as something more spiritual and deep.  Mark Wahlberg also turns in an amazing performance as Jack Salmon, a father torn apart by the death of a child, and the bond that Susie and Jack share...even after her death...is something only a few actors could have pulled off, and Wahlberg does it remarkably.  Then, there's Stanley Tucci as George Harvey.  Tucci has never been creepier or darker, and when Harvey finally gets what's coming to him, it may be the best vengeance EVER!

I'm giving The Lovely Bones 4 out of 4 cigars, Jackson manages to flex his horror chops and still get in all the fantasy elements he's become famous for, for my money, this is the best Peter Jackson movie in years...and yes, I'm including those Lord Of The Rings movies, they can't hold a candle to this!  If you really enjoy movies, then don't miss The Lovely Bones, it's a movie that'll get under your skin and stay there.

Monday, March 14, 2011

The Walking Dead

I have to admit to some skepitcism when I first heard about The Walking Dead, after all, a zombie comic book couldn't possibly compare to the visceral thrills of a Dawn Of The Dead or a 28 Days Later, could it?  So, I largely ignored the comics.  Then, when I heard AMC was making a series out of it, I have to admit to some mixed emotions.  AMC promised to keep the gore level high for us zombie hounds, but had a reputation for producing 'Emmy award winning' series (translation: BORING), so I was expecting to watch the first episode and then walk away in disgust.  Well, not only was I wrong....I was beyond wrong...I was WRONG!!!  The Walking Dead not only holds up to the zombie legacy of every one of it's predecesors, but manages to make a zombie series something you'll sit on the edge of your seat for every week.  And now it's on DVD, so you can watch the entire first season (6 episodes) in one sitting, even if that sitting is on the edge of yours.




Basically, The Walking Dead is the story of Rick Grimes, a small town deputy sheriff who gets shot and lapses into a coma.  When he wakes up, the world has gone through the zombie apocalyse!  Rick finds his way home, only to discover that his family is gone, but is sure that they're still alive and is determined to find them.  And that's how the story begins, but it moves very quickly from there.  In the first episode, Rick meets a man and his son, who help him out and then disappear.  And when Rick heads into downtown Atlanta to look for survivors and his family, he finds himself surrounded by zombies...or walkers, as they're called in the series.
 
This 6 episode series will go by so fast, you'll find yourself watching all the extras just to get a bit more, then you'll have to join the rest of us waiting until fall for season 2...which will hopefully be longer than 6 episodes!  The Walking Dead is one of the best series on TV, and if you didn't catch it when it ran, DVD is your chance...DON'T MISS IT!  This is definitely 'must see' TV, and if you've seen it, see it again, I've been through the first season at least 3 times and will probably revisit it again before the new season begins!
 
I'm giving The Walking Dead 4 out of 4 cigars, if you're a fan of the zombie genre, you'll love it.  If you love great drama, you'll love it.  The only series that even comes close to keeping me this involved is Dexter...yes, this is that damn good!  So, what are you waiting for, click that link above and order it...trust me, this is one you'll want on your shelf!  And, until next time, remember, even when it comes to TV, there's no such thing as a bad movie!