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Post by Maidpool w/ Cleaning Action on Jun 23, 2009 23:43:22 GMT -5
Anyone see that Simon Says movie that just came out with Crispin Glover?
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Jiren
Patti Mayonnaise
Hearts Bayformers
Posts: 35,163
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Post by Jiren on Jun 23, 2009 23:44:18 GMT -5
Yeah
Not bad
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Post by Sir Woodrow on Jun 24, 2009 0:34:09 GMT -5
I've seen Storm warning.
Solid little Aussie Horror flick.
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Lick Ness Monster
Dennis Stamp
From the eerie, eerie depths of Lake Okabena
Posts: 4,874
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Post by Lick Ness Monster on Jun 24, 2009 10:52:52 GMT -5
Might as well post a review while I'm still in the "New Thread" euphoria. For whatever reason, nobody really talks about this movie... ...and that's a little confusing. After all, on the surface, it's what everybody wants. It's a completely original American horror movie, not based on any work of literature, and certainly not a remake of any earlier film. What's more, it stars a lead actress with TWO FREAKING ACADEMY AWARDS under her belt. Yet, for whatever reason, The Reaping was in and out of theaters in about three weeks flat, meeting poor box office receipts and even poorer critical reviews. While some of the criticisms are justified, this is a fairly underrated movie with some things going for it, particularly in the first and second acts. The movie's early scenes introduce us to Katherine Winter (Hilary Swank) and her assistant Ben (Idris Elba) investigating claims of a miracle. As it turns out, Winter's job is to debunk miracles, and on this particular case, a large sum of hazardous waste tucked away in an underground oil well turns out to be the culprit. After returning home, Katherine receives a phone call from Father Costigan (Stephen Rea), small-town priest from Louisiana who warns her about some very off-kilter happenings in the very Bayou town (and the authentic look isn't an accident, as much of the movie was filmed on location in Baton Rouge). Of course, Katherine initially writes off any and all religious and spiritual implications in the various incidents - including burning photographs forming an upside-down sickle and the town's river turning bright red - but, of course, the character goes through a change of heart as the investigation takes place throughout the film. Very unlike a lot of modern horror films, the character of Winter is explored very deeply throughout The Reaping, which I found to be very cool; the reason for her present job lies in her past. Katherine is a widow; she was once an ordained minister, and spent time as a missionary in the Sudan with her husband. After a year-long drought, the natives sacrifice her family as a means of making it rain. From this point on, the Winter character loses faith, devoting her life to disproving the existence of God and miracles. From here, The Reaping becomes a retelling of the tale of the Biblical plagues. There are admittedly some creepy scenes in the early goings of this film; Winter and her team wading through the blood-red river is very visually arresting stuff. While Katherine offers up several theories as to just what exactly has caused the river to turn red, she is shocked by the lab results - indeed, the water is now pure, 100% human blood. The crew is also shocked by the falling of frogs from the sky while they are investigating the river, along with the plagues of disease in the form of a mass cattle killing. In typical oblivious horror movie form, Katherine insists on a scientific explanation for all of these instances. The movie wouldn't be as long otherwise. Periodically throughout The Reaping, we get visions into the past and present of Katherine Winter. In one of these visions, Doug (David Morrissey), a local science teacher, makes love to her. At times, this can be a very confusing film; its mixture of past, present, and future can make for a pretty startling watch, and first-time viewers will likely spend a lot of time collectively going "huh?" like I did. On a second viewing, it's actually a pretty simple to follow flick; pretty much any time the scene looks mysterious and dreamlike, it's a vision, although when the ending hits, we are left to wonder whether the visions were really just visions. As it turns out, all of the plagues besetting Haven have a startlingly personal connection to Katherine which I won't divulge here. In addition, as someone with an honest-to-Christ PHOBIA of grasshoppers (to the point that I have to drive around my block if some of the little bastards are taking up habitat in my driveway), the scene involving the locust plague made me leave the theater. I highly doubt that it will have that profound of an effect on anyone else, but on me, absolutely terrifying. And yeah, I had one of my usual grasshopper nightmares that night. This movie has some positives, but of those, the biggest is most definitely Swank. I don't think that I have to tell anybody this, as it's pretty much a no-brainer for someone with two Academy Awards to her name, but she's a fantastic actress. The character of Katherine Winter is multi-dimensional and very complicated, but Swank makes it all look easy and natural. In addition, throughout the first and second acts of The Reaping tell a story that is very easy to get wrapped up in. We really like the character of Katherine; the fact that she's so well-played makes it easier, but her arc is one that a lot of people can relate to as it relates to losing faith and gaining it back. The whole mystery aspect of the movie is also very well done; the film poses a lot of possibilities and questions in its first two acts and keep an audience guessing. The problem, as it is with a lot of modern thrillers, lies in the payoff. Perhaps this movie was just too interesting with its setup, but The Reaping feels like a letdown in its climax. Remember how earlier I said that it seemed like this movie's central mystery had a very strong personal connection to Katherine? Yeah, it might have been a little too personal; I won't get into the excruciating details, but in some convoluted way ALL of this movie's events really involved Katherine in some way. The character DOES do the about-face in regards to her faith in the course of the movie's storyline, which I rather enjoyed; I cannot fathom how pissed off this movie would have made me if they hadn't paid that angle off. Still...this movie's third act suffers from X-Men 3 syndrome. Just TOO MANY DAMN THINGS GOING ON. Enough revelations for three movies are had in this film's final trimester, resulting in TR movie pet peeve #4: Swerve Overload. Overall, The Reaping is a watchable film, definitely worth a rental particularly as it's in the bargain bins now, long forgotten and not likely to gain any sort of cult following. In the end, however, it's a maddening film with all sorts of awesome potential that sadly do not get realized in the end. ** 1/2
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Post by Rorschach on Jun 24, 2009 17:32:51 GMT -5
I've seen Storm warning. Solid little Aussie Horror flick. Indeed it is.... STORM WARNING (2007) Starring: Nadia Fares, Robert Taylor, and David Lyons STORM WARNING is another of those bargain bin gems that TR was talking about, and as Boobz said, in most places you can find it for under $5. Don't let that price fool you though...despite the DIMENSIONS EXTREME label splashed across the cover, you actually get a pretty solid little film for your money. STORM WARNING is the story of a 30 something couple named Pia and Rob (Fares and Taylor), who decide to take a jaunt in a rented sailboat one afternoon as a means of celebrating their love for each other. Despite their differences (he is a craggy Aussie, and she is a French sexpot who, as Boobz pointed out DOES bear an uncanny resemblance to MMA darling Gina Carano) the two actors have pretty good chemistry together, and it's never difficult to buy them as a couple who are deeply in love with each other. So they set out on what they intend to be a quiet afternoon of drifting on the ocean breezes...Pia relaxing in her wetsuit, and Rob trying to teach how to fish. However, their tranquility does not last long as the weather begins to turn nasty, and the couple find themselves blown off course and forced to head inland at the first opportunity. Before long, they've drifted so far inland that Rob is wading through the water towing the small sailboat, and Pia is nervously eyeing their surroundings. They've gone up a small channel, and are hopelessly lost, and before you know it, the mother of all storms has broken, forcing the marooned couple to seek shelter at the nearest house they can find. Unfortunately for them, the nearest house they find is home to three of the most despicable degenerates you could ever imagine: Poppy, and his sons Jimmy and Brett, though we don't properly meet Poppy until later in the movie. Seems these three have a rather large pot hothouse on the property, and they are very, very interested in protecting their source of (illegal) income. Even worse for our loving couple, however, is the fact that these three are even MORE interested in Pia, and they have no issue at all with eliminating her husband Rob to get at her. Yes, STORM WARNING follows in the proud tradition of such films as LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT, and TEXAS CHAIN SAW MAASSACRE. It features the plot staples of a crazy, murderous, possibly inbred family living in squalor (MASSACRE) and at the same time, the poor, innocent, unfortunate woman who is viciously and sadistically violated by three ugly, piggish men (LAST HOUSE). However, the neat little twist that STORM WARNING throws into it's recipe is that this time, the woman is not quite as innocent as she seems, and it is the man who is utterly and totally useless. Add another feminist horror flick to the list next to TEETH and I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE, though that does not mean that I am comparing STORM WARNING directly to either of those movies. Instead, what it has in common with them is that instead of the woman being the shrieking, screaming, flailing victim that she usually would be in a horror movie, she takes matters into her own hands and when put through the trial by fire, emerges on the other side forged from solid iron. All this, while her husband Rob takes over the role of "damsel in distress" after he is summarily defeated by the trio of would be rapists as he tries to stand up for Pia. This forces Pia to stand up for herself, and this she does with aplomb, though I should stress that by no means does she turn into some sort of female John Rambo. She simply uses the weapons, and advantages that nature has provided for her: her intellect, and her beauty, which make her more than a match for her attackers, and enables her to turn the tables on them in very nasty, very creative ways. STORM WARNING has some GREAT gore FX, some decent acting (mainly by Fares, who carries the latter half of the movie on her shoulders, though David Lyons' Jimmy is also an achievement in movie villainy), and enough of a plot to keep you on your toes and guessing at....and yes, I'm going to crib the tagline from TCM here because it DOES fit...WHO WILL SURVIVE AND WHAT WILL BE LEFT OF THEM? *** out of five.
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Post by GuyOfOwnage on Jun 24, 2009 17:36:20 GMT -5
Might wanna fix the image in your post...I'm seeing some gigantic rainbow where the poster should be.
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Post by Rorschach on Jun 24, 2009 17:42:09 GMT -5
Better? ;D
At any rate, I would also like to second TR's review of THE REAPING. It just seems like it really lost itself in the final thirty minutes of the film. Movies that do that are especially frustrating, and I liken them to the wrestling match that is a five star classic for the first twenty minutes, and then as the grapplers go for the finish, they botch it terribly and bring the whole match down around them.
*sigh*
Sadly, this happens a lot in horror. Seems like many writers these days just don't know how to finish out a script.
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Post by DSR on Jun 24, 2009 22:25:55 GMT -5
I've seen Storm warning. Solid little Aussie Horror flick. Indeed it is.... STORM WARNING (2007) Starring: Nadia Fares, Robert Taylor, and David Lyons STORM WARNING is another of those bargain bin gems that TR was talking about, and as Boobz said, in most places you can find it for under $5. Don't let that price fool you though...despite the DIMENSIONS EXTREME label splashed across the cover, you actually get a pretty solid little film for your money. STORM WARNING is the story of a 30 something couple named Pia and Rob (Fares and Taylor), who decide to take a jaunt in a rented sailboat one afternoon as a means of celebrating their love for each other. Despite their differences (he is a craggy Aussie, and she is a French sexpot who, as Boobz pointed out DOES bear an uncanny resemblance to MMA darling Gina Carano) the two actors have pretty good chemistry together, and it's never difficult to buy them as a couple who are deeply in love with each other. So they set out on what they intend to be a quiet afternoon of drifting on the ocean breezes...Pia relaxing in her wetsuit, and Rob trying to teach how to fish. However, their tranquility does not last long as the weather begins to turn nasty, and the couple find themselves blown off course and forced to head inland at the first opportunity. Before long, they've drifted so far inland that Rob is wading through the water towing the small sailboat, and Pia is nervously eyeing their surroundings. They've gone up a small channel, and are hopelessly lost, and before you know it, the mother of all storms has broken, forcing the marooned couple to seek shelter at the nearest house they can find. Unfortunately for them, the nearest house they find is home to three of the most despicable degenerates you could ever imagine: Poppy, and his sons Jimmy and Brett, though we don't properly meet Poppy until later in the movie. Seems these three have a rather large pot hothouse on the property, and they are very, very interested in protecting their source of (illegal) income. Even worse for our loving couple, however, is the fact that these three are even MORE interested in Pia, and they have no issue at all with eliminating her husband Rob to get at her. Yes, STORM WARNING follows in the proud tradition of such films as LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT, and TEXAS CHAIN SAW MAASSACRE. It features the plot staples of a crazy, murderous, possibly inbred family living in squalor (MASSACRE) and at the same time, the poor, innocent, unfortunate woman who is viciously and sadistically violated by three ugly, piggish men (LAST HOUSE). However, the neat little twist that STORM WARNING throws into it's recipe is that this time, the woman is not quite as innocent as she seems, and it is the man who is utterly and totally useless. Add another feminist horror flick to the list next to TEETH and I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE, though that does not mean that I am comparing STORM WARNING directly to either of those movies. Instead, what it has in common with them is that instead of the woman being the shrieking, screaming, flailing victim that she usually would be in a horror movie, she takes matters into her own hands and when put through the trial by fire, emerges on the other side forged from solid iron. All this, while her husband Rob takes over the role of "damsel in distress" after he is summarily defeated by the trio of would be rapists as he tries to stand up for Pia. This forces Pia to stand up for herself, and this she does with aplomb, though I should stress that by no means does she turn into some sort of female John Rambo. She simply uses the weapons, and advantages that nature has provided for her: her intellect, and her beauty, which make her more than a match for her attackers, and enables her to turn the tables on them in very nasty, very creative ways. STORM WARNING has some GREAT gore FX, some decent acting (mainly by Fares, who carries the latter half of the movie on her shoulders, though David Lyons' Jimmy is also an achievement in movie villainy), and enough of a plot to keep you on your toes and guessing at....and yes, I'm going to crib the tagline from TCM here because it DOES fit...WHO WILL SURVIVE AND WHAT WILL BE LEFT OF THEM? *** out of five. Sounds good. Dimension EXTREME also gave us the DVD release of Wizard of Gore, which is also pretty good despite the awful cover. At any rate, I may have to give Storm Warning a look one of these days...then again, I've got a lot of things to "give a look one of these days." *shrug*
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Tehboobz wants Ewa Sonnett
Don Corleone
Keeps his subtlety and knockers separated.
She's busty...she's Polish...and she will be mine!
Posts: 1,533
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Post by Tehboobz wants Ewa Sonnett on Jun 24, 2009 22:53:15 GMT -5
Yeah, Storm Warning ended up surprising me too...I had very low expectations going in to it, but after seeing it was suitably wowed by it. It's nasty enough that it makes you squeamish...and what happens to Poppy ought to make most of the males watching this movie grab reflexively for thier junk...but at the same time, it's still got that redemption at the end that doesn't leave you feeling like you've just been assaulted.
I think one of my favorite things was when Pia was setting about rigging up one of her defenses, and Rob comes to just long enough to ask her what the hell she's doing. Her answer?
"Keeping myself safe. It's not like YOU'RE going to do it."
;D
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Post by Rorschach on Jun 25, 2009 12:43:58 GMT -5
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Post by GuyOfOwnage on Jun 25, 2009 12:54:13 GMT -5
I'm going to take a wild guess and say that my local theater likely won't be playing it just because it's a 3D film. Hope everyone else has fun, though.
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Post by Rorschach on Jun 25, 2009 13:00:19 GMT -5
Hey, my local theater JUST put 3D in...otherwise I'm looking at an hour drive to get to see it.
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Post by GuyOfOwnage on Jun 25, 2009 13:14:17 GMT -5
Hey, my local theater JUST put 3D in...otherwise I'm looking at an hour drive to get to see it. It's just that my local theater has stated numerous times in the past that it has no interest in the 3D gimmick. Trust me, I've called them up and asked. And because I don't drive (or have any friends who are horror fans), they're about my only option.
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andrew8798
FANatic
on 24/7 this month
Posts: 106,081
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Post by andrew8798 on Jun 25, 2009 13:27:10 GMT -5
Some new DVD's sets coming out later this year
3 Packs out on September 8th
The Prophecy (Parts 1-3) Halloween (Curse of Michael Myers, H20, Resurrection) Mimic (Parts 1-3) Hellraiser (Bloodline, Inferno, Hellseeker) From Dusk Till Dawn 1-3 Scream 1-3
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Collection from New Line 9-15
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Lick Ness Monster
Dennis Stamp
From the eerie, eerie depths of Lake Okabena
Posts: 4,874
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Post by Lick Ness Monster on Jun 25, 2009 13:29:26 GMT -5
Well, since I'm in an especially annoying "new thread" mood this time...it's been a while since there's been a TR top ten list.
TR'S TOP TEN HORROR REMAKES OF ALL TIME (not counting the countless movies made of literary monsters like Dracula and Frankenstein, since they are all different interpretations of the source novels)
1. The Thing (1982) - Atmospheric, claustrophobic, boasting kickass characters and a rocking story, effectively a zillion times better than the original movie, and everything that a remake SHOULD be.
2. The Fly (1986) - For years, this was my all-time #1 remake, and for good reason. Seth Brundle is a very well-developed character, and like Carpenter's Thing, it's a lot better than the original movie...although I'm a little mad at Brundlefly for almost knocking Kayako out of the villains tournament.
3. Night of the Living Dead (1990) - Yes, I prefer Tom Savini's remake to the original movie. The acting is much better, the story is just as well fleshed-out, and the greatest zombie movie of all time still has that crummy ability to shock. Plus, it has WC Hall of Fame inductee Tony Todd at his horror-riffic best.
4.. The Grudge (2004) - Takashi Shimizu takes all of the best parts of his Japanese Ju-On series and shoves it into this. While the characters aren't quote as likable, the movie is quite good.
5. Body Snatchers (1993) - While many people prefer the 1978 Donald Sutherland film to this one, for some reason, this version (with Meg Tilly) has always been my preferred movie of choice when it comes to Pod People action.
6. The Ring (2002) - The movie that launched the "Japan-style horror movie" craze in America. It's dark and atmospheric, with Naomi Watts turning in one of the rare "final girl" performances this decade that DON'T make me root for the killer.
7. Dawn of the Dead (2004) - I actually prefer this movie to the original, as well, mainly due to my own harsh bias when it comes to message movies. This film is just as entertaining as the original while also boasting a fleshed-out group of characters and some pretty damn thrilling stuff in the final trimester.
8. The Toolbox Murders (2003) - A lot of people probably don't even know that this IS a remake; the original movie is pretty obscure (even more obscure than the original versions of The Thing and The Fly). That said, Tobe Hooper shows he can still go in the 21st century.
9. My Bloody Valentine 3D (2009) - Admittedly, I haven't seen it at home yet to really judge if it's a good movie or not, but this was just a damn fun time in the theaters.
10. Friday the 13th (2009) - You've got a guy in a hockey mask, a group of horny teens, and a whole lotta gratuitous nudity and violence. What's not to love here? Thank God it's Friday...
Terribly original top two, I know. I think that pretty much EVERYONE has those movies as 1-2 on their lists.
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Post by Rorschach on Jun 25, 2009 13:35:29 GMT -5
Oh yeah...the original TOOLBOX MURDERS was a terrible movie, saved only by the gore/murder set pieces.
The remake is loads better, IMO. Nice list, and yeah, I think that pretty much everyone's top two are going to be either THE THING or THE FLY.
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Lick Ness Monster
Dennis Stamp
From the eerie, eerie depths of Lake Okabena
Posts: 4,874
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Post by Lick Ness Monster on Jun 25, 2009 13:37:53 GMT -5
Yeah, I've seen the original Toolbox Murders, and judging from what I hear from most people, it's ONLY horror diehards that have actively searched for it, let alone seen it.
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Welfare Willis
Crow T. Robot
Pornomancer 555-BONE FDIC Bonsured
Game Center CX Kacho on!
Posts: 44,259
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Post by Welfare Willis on Jun 25, 2009 13:39:31 GMT -5
Oh yeah...the original TOOLBOX MURDERS was a terrible movie, saved only by the gore/murder set pieces. The remake is loads better, IMO. Nice list, and yeah, I think that pretty much everyone's top two are going to be either THE THING or THE FLY. tsk, tsk, tsk...I think we all forget about the going downtown scene with the redhead in the original toolbox murders. But yeah watching Hooper's remake made me think, "Where in god's name has this Tobe Hooper been in the last few years?"
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Welfare Willis
Crow T. Robot
Pornomancer 555-BONE FDIC Bonsured
Game Center CX Kacho on!
Posts: 44,259
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Post by Welfare Willis on Jun 26, 2009 12:18:41 GMT -5
Well I'm late to the party fellas but I picked up the blu-ray copies of MBV 3D and the Ft13th remake today. I'm going on vacation next week so hopefully I'll have some more reviews for everybody then.
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Post by Rorschach on Jun 26, 2009 15:12:43 GMT -5
Review time again! THE BROOD (1979) Starring: Samantha Eggar, Oliver Reed, and Art Hindle, with Cindy Hines as Candice Killer kids can make for some truly creepy movies, and David Cronenberg's 1979 film THE BROOD proves exactly why that is. For one thing, they're small and stealthy, and can slip into your house (and hide unnoticed) until they're ready to strike. For another, their very age is an asset to them, as all but the hardest of adults would think twice before striking a child, giving the evil little bastards just the opening they need to attack. So it goes in THE BROOD, as we're introduced to Frank Carveth (Hindle), who is sitting in on a session of a revolutionary new form of psychotherapy performed by Dr. Hal Raglan (Reed). Frank is sitting in on this session due to having a very vested interest in the methods of Dr Raglan, chiefly because Raglan is the doctor treating his estranged wife Nola (Eggar). See, Nola is something of a special case due to her anger issues, which when combined with her deteriorated mental condition make her quite the volatile patient. Sent to Raglan after all else has failed, Nola seems to be making some strides in dealing with her issues; however Frank is not convinced that Raglan's methods are anything medically sound, but are instead a form of quackery designed to prey on the most mentally vulnerable patients out there, including his wife. It is not long after this session, in which Raglan brings out Nola's resentment of her own daughter Candice (Hines) that Candice is attacked in her bedroom by an assailant that so terrifies the young girl that she cannot describe him or her to Frank, to her teacher, or anyone else. Connecting the dots, Frank sends Candice to stay with his mother-in-law while he attempts to pay a visit to Raglan. It is during this stay that another attack occurs, this time a fatal one on Candice's grandma, perpetrated by what appears to be a feral child...and intercut with this savage attack, we see that Raglan is once again in session with Nola, and this time he is drawing her anger out and aiming it towards her mother. What is Raglan's true intent? What do these attacks by seemingly feral children have to do with Nola? To tell that would be to spoil what actually turns out to be an interesting plot twist, and I would rather not do that. THE BROOD follows in the traditions of VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED with it's "killer kids" theme, and Cronenberg's mastery of drawing you into the worlds of his films is on full display here...the only problem is that the whole thing seems so "soap opera" like. Don't get me wrong, I was never entirely bored with THE BROOD, but the old axiom of "a little less talk and a lot more action" definitely holds true here. Once the plot concerning what Raglan is doing was established, was there REALLY a need to show nearly a whole session with him and Nola? Especially when another "kiddie attack" could have been thrown in to liven things up a bit? I enjoy cerebral films as much as anyone, but THE BROOD, while interesting and engaging, could have been so much more exciting, especially given it's concept. ** 1/2 out of five.
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