Pyro's Piss poor review

Seeing Halloween tomorrow night, will read your review after then.

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Suspect's Reviews

Thanks I might wait for this to come out on DVD not a big horror film fan

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That part of brutal rape scenes wont be seen in final theatrical cut. And besides the review given is from a workprint. There are many things taken out and a couple added.

And you saw theatrical Jrs? Either way, can't see the problems being resolved in it.

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Uh, No...but those are the differences for those who want to know (like Nebbit) . Besides, your opinon on the film doesn't affect mine.

Well, you just seemed to know about all the difference so i assumed you'd seen both.

I understand.

According to what has been mentioned 6-7 scenes have been removed and an alternate scene has been shot. I am checkin this out to see the differences.

Nice review, I'd say I agree with pretty much everything you said.

I suggest to wait for a different opinion if you read someone's review of Zombie's Halloween. Wait till someone gives a full, enticed, well thought out and well done review on the final film. The theatrical version is like much, much different to the workprint that was seen. And the ending......perfectly done. You'll have to see it for yourselves.

Look Jrs, our opinions may very but there's absolutely no need to disregard my opinion and criticise my review like that. I've acknowledged that it was the workprint thus my opinion on that is still valid, even if the theatrical cut changes it around a bit, the story is still the same and i'm sure a lot of the flaws and successes will be the same; epsecially considering TUS saw the theatrical cut and agreed with my feelings towards the film. Have YOU seen both Jrs? If you're so amazing and your opinion is perfect why the **** don't you write something instead of being a damned free promoter for the film. Particularly since it's not actually released here for a few more weeks as well. I never get offended by people on the internet of pissed off by them but you've succeeded, which i'm sure was part of your intention. I know i've had a few niggles at you but it's always been harmless and tongue in cheek, and too my memory never a directly insulting you.

I don't how you could observed that from what I wrote.


Yes I have seen both. I have NEVER said I was perfect in anyways. Noone is. And a promoter?


I'm never bothered. Besides I know when the right time comes to get mideviel on someone's ass.

I thought it was a good review

JRS, I almost-always respect your thoughts and suggestions and even if I agree and understand what you meant I must say you were a bit/lot........ loutish in this instance. It is okay to disagree and to even lambaste someone who deserves it, but this is a thread of one's own volition, and well, you were rude. I do not say that to make you mad or angry or to even judge, but hey I thought I would try to help out.

Oh BTW.....Nice review, and I do not agree, but I do respect it.

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I'm sorry for wording that in a bad way. I am not saying your review Pyro is not worthy of respect ......... but I was mentioning that, if anyone wrote up a review on the theatrical version to make sure they read that too.

Have you seen it then? What were your thoughts about it, better or worse?

Found a site listing the differences between the Halloween 2007 workprint and theatrical cut. Which aren't drastic, just the odd scene and a different ending. http://horror-movie-a-day.blogspot.c...cret-post.html

This is the only thing I do not agree with, a plot synopsis, which you kinda do anyway, is a staple of a good review. Just my opinion, other than that solid.

Oh, i thought you were talking about the movie. Hmm, well, it was because it's a remake and was trying to emphasise seeing the original first so didn't want to take up first paragraph/few sentences with something people seeing the film should already know.

Alien vs Predator: Requiem


Let's not make any bones about it, Alien vs Predator was a pretty poor film, the human characters took too much precedence on the narrative to the extent of one forming some awkward quasi romance with the Predator. Is that really what a film about two battling screen legends should have. No. In this sequel however a clear attempt has been made to rectify this, there are obviously some human protagonists to follow but are wisely kept seperate from the Predator fighting the aliens, bar a few inherent cross overs. And perhaps the strongest point with these human characters is, ironically, how little the filmmakers care for them, gladly using the knowledge that the audience won't like them either or even want them in the film at all, which allows many smile inducing dispatches of them.

As much fun as is had with Requiem it's still very flawed, the target audience is painfully apparent with too many deaths being cut away from seconds too soon in a bid for that 15 certificate. Here's hoping the uncut DVD will include the gruesome deaths missing. Opposed to the first with multiple Predators against the aliens, Requiem offers just one so his fight becomes far more interesting, and while empathy is probably a stretch, he's certainly who the audience are rooting for. Aside from the editing, the other major problem is how the creatures are handled, often it's far too reminiscent of their previous incarnations to the point where their scenes could've effectively been copy and pasted. The predator is handled best, though unsurprisingly having only one to focus on but the directors seem at a loss as to how to show the aliens past copying others, from the swimming to the uncurling from ceilings, their framing and direction is unoriginal and evokes little tension. And they never seem to sure when to show them and when not to giving little scale or insight to their genuine threat. It's probably best not too mention the massacring of Giger's brilliant alien design apparent in the Alien/Predator hybrid, which seems like they literally mashed the two images together without consideration.

Past the gripes the film does work well, moving from the weak points of the original most notably in the character handling. From the opening with the little boy, the hope of his death is satisfied paving way for more characters to be remorselessly killed, which provides most the fun. Every cliched character from the hero to the love interest are fair game, to an extent. Sometimes the shock value seems a little forced, like impregnating the women in the pregnancy ward and audience patience is tested when it's revealed they must have a helicopter to escape (opposed to their tank) which happens to be at the hospital. But much of this is rewarded, from the hero's bad decisions leading to what we knows coming instead of convenient rescue and cliched characters getting what's not expected. Most importantly however the battles between the two species are well handled and enjoyable, although maybe not as fluent or exciting as the initial promise. There's some pretty cool moments when the collide and the predator is mostly badass providing fun kills but the film sometimes verges on tedious like the predators injuries being forgotten or his constant inability to hit a target and long range.

Overall Alien vs Predator: Requiem strives to break certain conventions of horror films and works to an extent but all this is still hampered when the unoriginal characters do survive. Nonetheless it is enjoyable and doesn't disappoint and i'd almost say it's possibly as good as the worst each franchise has to offer. It's certainly an improvement on the first so gets my recommendation if you're even remotely interested in them but would further recommend waiting for an uncut version and definitely an alternative ending.

All the Boys Love Mandy Lane




Mandy Lane is a little flick that's been kicking around for sometime, trailers came out sometime last year only for the release to be withheld, and to be released now. Although this marketing wasn't a tactic, ironically, it's certainly worked as a plus; the initial sparks of interest from a well put together trailer were later stirred by it's re-emergence, perhaps the main draw to seeing yet another slasher. Post-Scream and amidst slews of over stylised MTV 70s horror remakes and gorno, slashers are easily dismissed these days as derivative trash and Many Lane treads familiar ground, the attractive teen virgin, lusted by peers, placed in an isolated location where her friends her slowly dispatched around her but it works, well.

Lane is nothing special in genre terms yet succeeds in it's competence which gives it strong ground to raise above recent horror. The most notable instance is revealing the killer early on, removing the overdone whodunnit element and red herrings, allows the characters more room to develop depth and interest. But of course, in a slasher no real emotion is invested in characters, most are portrayed as unlikeable and their deaths inevitable but it's balanced out by a more realistic depiction of the youth characters and activities, from drug use as character traits opposed to a cause to be followed by effect (i.e. death as drugs are bad) or over stereotyped characters. Another plus strike is a removal of exposition, yet this leads to some faltering where the killer lacks the development to make them truly frightening, an instance where the particular characters jump to killer was due some more explanation then what's given. While Mandy Lane doesn't hold any pretenses to being a typical horror slasher, arguably using this to avoid cliche, no suspension of disbelief can make the killer seem scary or threatening. While this would work well enough in a thriller, the time it spends happily in the horror genre compromise this.

For a lot of the film it seems unsure what it wants to be, from some decent scenes of gore only then to have off screen deaths, leaving a tinge of disappointment. The more momentum it gathers as it moves away from introducing us characters to killing them is frustratingly where it's weakest point is. As soon as the killer starts relying on a gun and becoming a flesh and blood person, instead of a seemingly supernatural force is when a slasher is in trouble and for me, arguably switches genre to thriller. There's not much to separate the genres and with a bit more intelligence, it could have worked; as one character dies from an off-screen shot it starts to ratchet tension up, the fear of the killer out of the camera shot thus out of control of the formal restrictions of the screen and what audiences control. For me it was the only moment i was actually engaged, sadly the moment isn't capitalised on as the killer comes into shot to chase the other victim, loosing any sense of fear, which sadly may appear that the prior inspired moment was more accidental than purposeful.

There are certainly enough reasons to recommend the film, it's cinematography captures a great gritty 70s aesthetic and the direction is surprisingly assured for the most part, if lacking in tension be grateful for the absence of overused 'jump' scenes. I wouldn't hesitate speculating it's release delay is due to recent High School massacres as it's eerily evocative of these more than any other teen horror, which (considering the ending that i won't spoil) is even more disturbing with the emergence of a recent suicide cult in the UK; it's surprising more haven't cited the film as playing in bad taste. Regardless of it's release context, it does stand above recent horror, if solely for it's simplicity and not relying on a gimmick; the ending wisely avoids one of the awkward and absurd twists excellent horror films like Dead End and Switchblade Romance were let down by. That's not to say the end twist is good, however, it did seem forced and after expecting a stupid twist i was almost disappointed there wasn't one.

Overall, there's some nice kills, some smart direction, better than average characters and is kept simple and while this stops it descending into trash it also stops it being anything truly special.