crueltwistoffate

I could never remember if the film was actually any good because a lot of films back then I have fond memories of but now in recent viewing I see that they're not actually that good. But my fears were quickly put to rest when I saw this bad boy of an 80's classic. How hard does it rock? It rocks all kinds of ass. It owns the 80's movie. It is what I think about good 80's horror.

Script wise...it's perfect. It's tightly written, funny as hell, has great characters,a great plot and an interesting take on the haunted house set up. But best of all this film isn't just a horror movie... it's a freaking comedy for the first act set in the world of a horror movie. The humor comes naturally and isn't forced and is never too cute for it's own good. The writer knew what kind of film he was making and so he kept everything to make it fit in it's own tone. But best of all the film has a timeless and never feels dated. This film came out about 18 years ago and it's still freaking fun as hell. The jokes still keep me laughing and I've seen it a bunch of times since. I laugh out loud ever single time. Hell, the lines in this film are so damn catchy and the actors deliver them with such life that I can't help but to love them. Man, the script is so well done that I actually know them by heart. I can repeat every catchy line from the film out of the blue and they still make me laugh. I love it. What makes it so great it has a perfect mix of laughs and pure horror. This film is for fans of the genre and they give the fans what they want... but better then that they actually deliver a great film along with the gore and blood. This film captures an era where horror was fun and wasn't scared to try new things while still delivering a good film. It's a classic.

Cast wise...everyone is spot on. They all know how to deliver their lines and they know how to keep their characters alive and fun. First let's start off with our lead... Cathy Podewell as Judy" the good girl virgin". You know what...I love her performance. That's it. I love her in this film. She's really sweet and I love her acting... or non of there of.lol. You know what I know what I mean. She's not really a great actress but she's on that boarder line of being wonderfully bad. A lot of people won't like her but I love her. She's adorable and cute. Then there's Billy Gallo as Sal and Hal Havins as Stooge. They both are funny as hell have some of the best lines in the film. They are a blast. That's it. I love both their characters. But it's their acting and personalities which makes us like their "jerk" characters in the film. They're both jerks but fun jerks. Everyone else is great to in our group of teens.

Directing wise... I love director Keven S. Tenney. I love his directing on this film. I adore it, I study it and marvel at it. It's amazing. For the first 40 minutes it's mostly a comedy but he shoots it in a very interesting way. He has kick ass angles, camera moves and I just dug everything he brought to the table. The man knows how to make a cool looking film. I love his shots. I can't start to even tell you. This film not might be the most original type of 80's horror movie but it is very original looking. You watch this film and you know you aren't getting some low budget horror movie. No, the style here makes this film feel bigger then what it was meant to be. I loved how the camera seemed to just follow and move. Man, I just trip out on this film because every time I see I catch something new about the directing. There's always something new to spot. There's always some cool shot... or cool camera move that you never noticed before. So I love this film for that too. Not only that but Kevin doesn't let his style speak for him... he also crafts a great horror film. He knows how to bring real terror and fright into this film. But still it fits perfectly with the first part of the film. But I was also happy to see that even in the horror part of the film he never lost his flair for style. I love the floor shot looking up at Demonic Angela as she seems to float above the air... and if you watch the film with the insightful commentary then you've get a bigger treat when you find out just how they did it.

Okay, so you got a clever script,fun cast and an amazing director... so what else do you need? Well, how about an even better score. I love the music for this film. It was done by Dennis Tenny, the director's brother, and he creates some of the most unforgettable music for a horror film ever. I love his score. It's got balls and is original. I never heard a score like that before and haven't heard one since. I also loved the music they used in this film. They didn't just use the latest popular songs(like today's horror movies) or songs from a current popular bands or rappers(like they did in the 80's). Nope, they used music that they picked for the film and would fit in. The music is great and what I loved more is the songs that Dennis Tenny wrote for the film. I love "Computer Date".

Being a big fan of the Pang Brothers I was really looking forward to this solo offering from one of the brothers Oxide Pang. I can't lie. I loved this film. It rocks. That's it. This film's got style, it's got flair, it's got talent, solid acting,terror and best of all a great script. Man, just when you think where this film is going then BAM! The film totally switches on you. This film has balls, it holds no bars and is a beauty work of art. This film deals with the disturbing, the taboo and the twisted. But not only that but it deals with in a whole different way then what's ever been seen on film.This film gives you two different types of stories all in one film.But the thing about the two stories is that they both work perfectly with each other. This film rocks.

Script wise it's perfect. It has a solid fist hour about character, obsession,pain and guilt. But stronger then that it's about 2 girls.One who just is helpless as her friend and lover is torn apart by her own insides.The set up is perfect... you know the characters and even get insides their heads. You watch everything fall apart and you watch it unfold. But nothing feels forced, everything follows naturally. As certain horrific event start happening they never feel like they came out of nowhere or that they're just there to shock.Those scenes are there to get us to feel and see how the character is working internally. But man, this film works perfectly in it's first hour. It feels full and feels like a drama but that's okay. I liked it. I liked this story of two people are are in love who are just helping each other through. I never felt bored or anything. I loved it. I love story in my horror and this film delivers. But then there's the last act. Wow. It's stunning and comes out of nowhere but yet it makes sense.Perfect sense. God, this film amps up from zero to 60 in no time. God, that last act is just unnerving and shocking. God,I couldn't believe it. Tal about freaking balls.Wow... then there's the last scene. Shocking. Wow.

Acting. Here two pop stars from Hong Kong, Race and Roseanne Wong in their first serious roles. Now talk about great acting. Man, Race who plays our heroine is amazing. Man, she looked like she's falling apart for real on screen. There was never any sense of "oh she's acting" Nope. I believed her. Roseanne Wong, Race's real life sister, also played our heroine's lover. Wow. Balls I tells ya. Balls. But the best thing about that wasn't the fact that we had 2 hot lesbians but the best thing is that it feels real and natural. There's no kissing or anything but we don't need it. Their performances are enough to show us that both their characters really care about each other and love each other. I really bought them as real people and as a love story.

Directing... I love the Pang brothers. But here Oxide shows the even together or split up... they rock as directors. These guys are true masters of storytelling. But best of all... they have they're own style and flair but they never let that get in the way of telling the story. Here Oxide knows how to keep the film looking like a Pang Brothers film but at the same time it isn't one if you know what I mean.I could see their stamp on the film but it felt all Oxide baby. Hell yeah. I love everything about the directing of this film. I love his shots and love his style. I'm not kidding... he has style all of his own and isn't one of these directors that just rips off style from other films. Nope, here Oxide uses so many cool shots that I was in awe. But best of all they were all original. Man, I loved his camera movements... I loved how it just screamed "A Pang brothers film" Bravo. I love these guys and they are my heroes. I want to develop my own style just like them. Not only that but they can also freaking write great stuff. Bravo.

In the first hour of this film is mostly character development but Oxide never bored me. He kept me interested and with his slick but driven directing I never felt like I was watching a drama. I was watching a story unfold. But what really makes me respect Oxide more is the last act of the film. He takes something that could have been just a rip off of another popular horror movie and did it all his own baby. It never feels like I'm watching something I've seen before. Sure, it's the same situation but you've never seen Oxide do it. Man, he shoots it in an original and shocking way. Man, it never let up. I was in shock about what I was watching. But best of all it all felt like I was still watching the same movie. It made perfect sense if you were watching the film then you know it makes perfect sense. It's everything the movie is about... and what could have happened if it wasn't for the love that our two main girls had for each other had. This film rocks.

But I shown quickly that I was getting a great and original film. The best thing about the film is that I never saw the last act coming, even from the trailer(which always almost gives away the entire movie) I had no freaking clue. Thank you Oxide.

Okay. I'm going to say it. This film is THE FILM of the freaking year. This film is as solid as they come. A lot of time is given to characters, plot and action. This isn't an action film or a summer blockbuster. No, this is a real film about a real story. What's best about this film is how tight the script is. Sure it's long but who cares. Each act felt like it's own film and fit perfectly. Wow, the film never let special effects or action over do it. I loved the fleshed out characters. I loved how simple the film followed. I was never bored for a second. This is the film I wanted and the film I was given. It's amazing to just watch. Sure I knew how the film was going to end, come on... who doesn't. But it's Jackson's ride to that end that had me on the edge of my seat. Here everything feels natural. The era, the characters, the world and even the romance. I loved how they took the Naomi and Kong relationship to another level. It's not really about "love" but a different kind of love. It's about love for another soul. Kong had a soul and Naomi's character was able to see that. I loved how the character of Jack Driscoll. He seemed like a real guy not just a person thrown into the plot just to have a love triangle. He wasn't a bad guy, he loved Naomi's Ann just like Kong except both him and Kong never knew that they were both aiming at the same thing... protecting Ann. The script could have really gone down the wrong lane with Driscoll but Jackson and his writers wouldn't let it. This film proves that remakes can be a good thing when done for all the right reasons.

Acting. NAOMI WATTS!Wow, if she doesn't get an Oscar then then the whole award show should be taken apart. She earned it... SO GIVE IT TO HER! Wow. I can't tell you how amazing she is. She wasn't acting, she was Ann. I can't tell you how great she is. She's amazingly gorgeous. She is classic Hollywood beauty but what sets her apart from the rest is that acts even better then she looks. I'm a big fan of hers. She was moving, touching, warm, sad and everything you want in an actress. All that came across on film. All of these young actresses need to look at her so they can see what it really means to be a real actress. Wow, most times when actors are working with a co-star who is CGI they act to nothing. Most times those actors are off. But not here. Watts is amazing. Her acting with the not there Kong when they shot it is great. It seems like they might have as well shot it with the real Kong. The mix of real action and CGI is perfect. Her facial expressions are stunning. Without a single word she can make your heart warm up. Jack Black was miscasts. That's it. I said it. I am not a fan of his and honestly... I can't stand him. He ruins his the wonderful character Jackson and his writers wrote. He just can't handle the role. His character is written in such an amazing way that Black ruins it all by playing himself in his role. You can't take him seriously at all. His face just screams Dumb ass. I hate him. Adrien Brody is great too.

Directing wise... Jackson owns all kind of ass. He is a true master. All bow before him. Man, a man who can make a 3 hour movie seem short is an artist. Hell, this film followed so smoothly I never even felt the 3 hours past. I was so into the movie that I wanted it to be longer. Jackson handled everything so well here. But what I loved most is that besides doing all the green screen work and CGI is that he actually directed actors. Everyone here is amazing besides Jack Black who plain sucks. There I said it again. God, Jackson takes us to 1930's New York, he takes us to Skull Island and back to New York and all with easy. He really brings up fear and tension. Your never really sure where this film is going to go. One minute you think you know but the next something else happens. Man, I felt like a little kid watching this film. It all felt so fantastic... so bigger then life. I loved this 3 hour film to death. I will tell you, this blows all of the Lord of the Rings films out of the water. HAIL JACKSON!Master of mixing CGI and real acting. Lucas! You paying attention?

Down note... while I didn't mind the 3 hours there were certain scenes I felt just sent a little too long. So of them could have been trimmed. Now I'm not like a lot of people out there who felt this film was an hour too long. I say it was more 10 to 15 minutes. All the plot points belong in this film but certain scenes I felt just went on a little too long. It wasn't the character moments I had that problem... it was the action scenes. So of them just went on too long. The climax was way too long. I'm sure they could have gotten the same impact if they could have trimmed. For real, at certain points I was like "Okay, I get it. Move on" But still besides that little flaw. I say KING KONG RULED this year and I will say it is my top film of the year...