Posts Tagged ‘John’
We Need To Talk About Kevin: Review
Based on the novel by Lionel Shriver, We Need To Talk About Kevin tells the story of a mother (Tilda Swinton) dealing and coping with her sons’ (Ezra Miller) horrible killing spree at his high school as the two year anniversary of the event draws near.
The subject matter of this film is controversial but that’s what makes this film and story powerful. It’s something that could realistically happen to anyone at any given time and we see/hear about it constantly in the media. Alot of the story takes place in flashbacks that show the upbringing of Kevin (Miller) and the way he never formed a bond with his mother. As he grows up you start to see certain little “signs” that Kevin has a problem as well as the way he acts out towards his mother. Even though I knew the conclusion of the film, I was emotionally invested with it enough to want Kevin to change his mind in the end. Alas, that was not the case. The acting in this film was stupendous. Tilda Swinton really blew me away and I think this was one of the best films I’ve seen of hers in recent years. You can definitely see the pain and helplessness in her performance. Ezra Miller is completely believable as a toubled youth. The look in his eyes at certain times in the movie is almost scary. Another great performance was by John C. Reilly. He plays Kevin’s father and is a fresh departure from the comdedic roles we’re used to seeing him in. All in all, this was a great film with a tragic story.
The Thing (2011): Review
This film tells what happens that leads up to the events of the 1982 film “John Carpenter’s The Thing”. A Norwegian research team stumble upon a spaceship and an extraterrestrial being out in the Antarctic snow. They return back to base with “The Thing” (frozen in a block of ice) and call on Paleontologist Kate Lloyd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) to examine the recent find. While celebrating their discovery it breaks out and wreaks havoc on the crew. It isn’t until after their first encounter with the creature that they realize it kills its prey and replicates its body, hiding itself in plain sight.
There’s something about this flick thats a bit more disturbing than the 1982 sequel. I don’t know exactly what it is but I think alot of it has to do with the advancement of movie effects. The way the creature reveals itself and tears the hosts’ body open on numerous occasions is the key “gross out” factor of this film…..and I loved every minute of it! It says alot when a movie makes me not want to eat or drink anything while I’m watching it. This one does the trick. That, along with the fact that everyone is being questioned and no one can be trusted makes this a great horror/thriller flick. I’m glad that this ended up being a prequel rather than a remake for the simple fact that I remember watching the original so many times and always wondering what happened at the base they stumble upon. They made the gap between the two movies rather seamless and it shows. If you watch both movies back to back (i really suggest you do) and pay close attention to the end of the 2011 version and watch the beginning of the 1982 version, the continuity that is kept at the Norwegian base excellent. From the creature that is out in the snow, down to a simple thing as an ax in a wall. A definite watch if you’re interested in a nice little scare.
The Thing is out on DVD and Blu-Ray 1/31/12
